


WALL-E: Second Coming

by CT-7709 (FanFicDotNetTransfers)



Category: WALL-E (2008)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-24
Updated: 2012-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 123,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24306295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicDotNetTransfers/pseuds/CT-7709
Summary: When WALL-E and EVE meet another robot from the distant past, new bonds are formed, old memories are revisited, and a new adventure unfolds in this novelized sequel to the movie.
Relationships: EVE/WALL-E (WALL-E), OC/OC
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Original story at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7772763/1/WALLE-Second-Coming

_Year: 2097_. _Location: Unknown_

"Good to see you again, Lieutenant."

"Likewise, sir."

"I heard what happened during the mission. You doing okay?"

"Fine, I guess."

"What happened to him wasn't your fault."

"We finished the mission, but I let my guard down during the extraction. I could have saved him."

"Every leader isn't perfect. Even though you were created to be the perfect soldier, you can never achieve perfection. It just isn't possible."

"I understand, sir."

"Anyway, onto the current situation. I got new orders from High Command."

"I'm listening."

"They concern Blackwing."

"Ugh, those BnL spooks."

"I know you don't like them, neither do I. But remember, they _are_ your creators."

"I know, but they treated me as nothing more than a product. They took no acknowledgement that I was sentient. That I had mind of my own."

"It's okay,son. But if they ever attempt to try anything on you, they'll have to answer to me."

"Thank you, sir. What are those new orders anyway?"

"Your're to be sent back to Blackwing HQ to be put in temporary suspended animation."

"Suspended animation?"

"They're going to run some diagnostics on you and maybe provide some upgrades."

"But what if they try something that isn't . . . beneficial to my condition?"

"Which is why I'm personally overseeing the operation, Lieutenant."

"I can always count on you, General."

"(laughs), remember what I taught you: don't get too reliant on others. Sometimes the only one you can depend on is yourself."

"Yes sir."

"Alright, let's get going. They're probably growing impatient by the second."

"Can we take a detour along the way then?"

"I don't see why not."

* * *

_Present day_

The last thing he remembered before it all went dark was holding up the Holo-detector so EVE could find the plant.

Suddenly, he was hit by a flash of light. The light was brownish in color, which meant he was back on Earth.

He refocused his optics so he could see clearer. As he regained vision, he noticed something white and seemingly familiar in front of him. He continued refocusing and noticed that the white object was egg-shaped an had a familiar, black-colored visor.

"E-vah?" WALL-E said, looking at the probe that he adored and cared for since he first met her.

"WALL-E." EVE whispered. Her eyes turned into upward crescents, indicating she was happy.

WALL-E felt so soothed to be in EVE's presence again. Recalling their whole adventure together: when they first met, he showed her his collection of trinkets that he collected over the last seven hundred years. He carefully protected and cared for her during that shutdown state of hers. He saved the plant from an explosion and she rewarded him with a spark-kiss. He recalled how Auto shocked him with his tazer and put him in an extremely weak state. Then there was the Holo-detector and it coming down on him as his tread slipped.

Even though he didn't look away from EVE's perfect complextion to look around, WALL-E could tell they were back on Earth. EVE must've found the plant, put it in the Holo-detector so the _Axiom_ could jump back to the planet, and took him back to his truck so she could repair him. Since he was standing here, she must've succeeded.

WALL-E felt relieved to know their mission was complete, then he looked down, and what he saw caught him completely by surprise.

He was holding her hand.

"E-vah!" WALL-E said in surprise. He was completely stunned to see her sleek, white fingers intertwined with his rusty, shovel-shaped claws.

EVE giggled. She was always amused by the things WALL-E did. It seemed like he was her best source of entertainment.

As WALL-E's hearing cleared, he heard a familiar song playing.

_And that is all_

_That love's about_

_And we'll recall_

_When time runs out_

It was _It Only Takes A Moment_ from _Hello Dolly._ But how was playing? Did EVE turn it on? Even though these questions burned inside WALL-E's head, they didn't matter. Him holding her hand and the music playing meant only one thing: she loved him too.

They stared at each other for a long period of time, embracing each other through the sweet sound of the music. It was so hard to believe that WALL-E had found love in someone so different, and yet, here they were. EVE returned the loving look he always gave her since the beginning.

As the song came to its finishing point, the two robots leaned their heads towards each other, closing their eyes. They took in each other's prescence and embraced it with love and happiness.

WALL-E bristled with happiness. Things were going to changed for the better, he knew it.


	2. A New Start

WALL-E came out of his box form, tired and groggy from his low power charge.

He went over to the truck's door, collecting his treads after about five minutes of trying to put them on, and pulled the lever to lower the ramp.

WALL-E took in the light brown sky as he flipped out his solar panels to recharge. He became lost in thought as he powered up. What should he do today? He didn't really compact trash anymore, that directive wasn't important to him anymore. He felt like doing something different, something fun. Just something.

As a familiar chime sounded, indicating he was fully charged, WALL-E put away his panels and was ready to start the day. But when he turned around, he jumped in surprise at a familiar figure that was standing, or rather, hovering, in his way.

"Good morning." EVE said as she leaned forward to give WALL-E a spark-kiss.

WALL-E sighed. He really liked those spark-kisses. It gave him a pleasant, tingling sensation which caused him to lose focus.

EVE giggled, and then picked up WALL-E to embrace him in a hug. Ever since they landed, EVE was a lot more affectionate towards WALL-E. He suspected it was because of the near-death experience he went through. It was okay though, he loved her since they first met. Even after a week of being together, he couldn't even look at her without stuttering.

Then, WALL-E had an idea: he loved EVE and he loved collecting treasures, so why not put them together?

"E-vah!" WALL-E said excitedly. EVE put him down and he explained in a long display of gestures that they should go looking for trinkets among the trash.

EVE nodded her head in agreement. It seemed that she was willing to do anything with him no matter how ridiculous it sounded.

They both went back inside the truck to prepare for their treasure hunt. WALL-E grabbed his cooler (which he used as a carrying case) and they set off.

They strode through the city streets on the way to the garbage piles, holding hands as they went. They greeted the occasional human that passed by on the way. The humans were really determined to begin their new lives here. They worked extremely hard on clearing the areas and building shelters and they had the weight loss to show. Most of the humans could walk perfectly and were slightly smaller than their original chubby state.

WALL-E admired the humans' persistence in their recolonizing efforts. Captain McCrea told him that it was the duty of mankind to maintain the Earth because it was their home. And now, since the robots started to become sentient, it became their home too.

They continued along, traversing across the nearby highway to kill time. It wasn't because they weren't in a hurry, but mainly because they wanted to spend quiet moments together any time they could.

The two robots saw the massive starliner known as the _Axiom._ The sunlight glistened off the ship's hull, casting a majestic reflection that could make anyone stop and stare at it for a while. Most of the service bots for the _Axiom_ were being taken out to assist the humans in recolonizing efforts, some being kept inside the ship to keep it functioning just in case it would be needed again.

WALL-E and EVE continued to move, and eventually found themselves at the garbage sites. There, they began their treasure hunt.

It was a long game of searching and playing. On more than one occasion, one of the bots would find something interesting and call the other to play with it. WALL-E's cooler filled up extremely fast with trinkets so EVE would repeatedly fly them back home so he could unload their goodies, giving them space to find more.

WALL-E and EVE tried to make the most of these days, as the Captain told them they would be working alongside the humans in their recolonization efforts in the next few days. WALL-E would be tasked in cleaning up the trash, just like he was built to do, while EVE was tasked with finding resources and maintaining the plants that would grow. However, since the humans' primary concern was establishing shelters, her given task wouldn't be important at the moment, so she would be assigned to assist WALL-E with his trash-cleaning duties.

The two continued to search for more treasures, searching the piles of garbage in high hopes of finding something interesting.

WALL-E then found something unusual: a small black pad with a dark screen, which indicated it may hold something of interest.

"E-vah!" WALL-E cried out, wanting to show his partner what he had found. EVE quickly hovered over, a look of excitement shined on her face, showing she was ready to play with whatever he had found.

WALL-E showed her the pad and she looked over it in curiosity. The two then proceeded to examine the object. They tapped it, pressed some of the buttons, and even attempted to rewire the battery charge in an attempt to turn it on.

Suddenly, the screen on the pad lit up and began showing multiple lines of numbers. The screen then showed a logo neither of them recognized: a black eagle surrounded by multiple triangular-shaped objects. Below the eagle flashed a word which may indicate a name.

"Black-wing?" EVE read the word carefully. A puzzled look on her face said she had no idea what it was.

WALL-E handed EVE the pad. He knew she was better at figuring out how things worked and this pad looked extremely complicated. EVE spread her hand into fingers and began tapping commands on the pad while WALL-E watched with interest.

Some time went by, then EVE shook her head and groaned in frustration. WALL-E looked at her and beeped in concern. He was always worried when EVE was troubled and would help in any way he could.

EVE turned to him and showed him the screen. "Access denied" the pad said. It obviously contained something important if it denied EVE's expert hacking skills.

WALL-E placed his hand on EVE's. "Later." he said. They would figure out more of the pad's mysteries some other time.

EVE smiled. "Okay," she responded. She placed the pad in WALL-E's cooler and they set off back home, finished with their explorations and deciding to do something else.

* * *

EVE was bothered by the pad. She really wanted to access the contents inside it.

 _Huh,_ WALL-E's sense of curiosity was rubbing off on her now that they lived together. She was really happy that they met. She never felt such warmth around WALL-E's care.

Back at the truck, WALL-E set the pad on a shelf next to his VHS player, which he used to play his—no their—favorite movie, _Hello Dolly._ They would deal with it some other time. Right now, they were going to spend the rest of the day exploring the _Axiom._

They set off for the ship, crossing the streets once again as WALL-E played _Put On Your Sunday Clothes_ on his recorder to keep them in a good mood. EVE smiled and took WALL-E's hand in her own. His near-death experience with the Holo-detector made her extremely protective and she was always eager to keep him happy. WALL-E became the most important figure in EVE's life now.

They made their way to the _Axiom_ and began exploring. They never saw all of the ship back during their adventure last week, especially since most of the time they were being chased by Stewards, so they saw this as a good opportunity to do so.

They wandered the long pathways and entertainment sectors that made up most of the ship. With all of the humans and most of the robots out recolonizing, the _Axiom_ was nearly empty. They only found the occasional service bot passing by to do its daily maintenance.

The robots made their way to the Lido Deck, mainly out of WALL-E's eagerness for exploration. Once they arrived, they split up to explore the deck.

EVE then stumbled upon the remains of GO-4. She looked up at the captain's room and recalled the horrible memories: how GO-4 held her in place with his tractor beam as Auto shocked WALL-E, nearly killing him.

She turned to WALL-E, who was examining one of the small pools with interest. When he turned his back to her, EVE picked up GO-4's remains and dumped them in a nearby trash container, hopeful that those horrible memories would never come back to haunt her.

She then went over to WALL-E, who seemed to be having a chat with a lifeguard bot while dipping the ends of his treads into the small pool to watch the ripples that formed.

"No splashing, no diving." The lifeguard bot said, apparently annoyed at WALL-E for his pool game.

"Okay." WALL-E responded. He seemed to be slightly irritated at the bot who was giving him swimming rules even though he wasn't in the pool.

"WALL-E." EVE called. She was slightly amused. She never saw WALL-E in an angry mood before. He was always cheery and positive. She never thought he would ever show some sign of irritation.

WALL-E quickly turned and rolled towards EVE, his expression quickly changed from irritated to happy as he approached her.

EVE checked the clock in her HUD. 6:45, it was getting late. They should start wrapping things up.

"Home." EVE said

"Okay." WALL-E replied in a disappointed tone. It was obvious that he really wanted to do some more exploring by the look on his face.

But EVE was watching WALL-E's power charge. Three bars remained on the display. She fussed over WALL-E's condition even if he wasn't in a bad state, another result of the bad experience she went through a week ago.

She leaned forward to give WALL-E a small spark-kiss. He sighed and immediately went back to his usual positive attitude. A spark-kiss from EVE always put WALL-E in a good mood, and she knew it too.

They left the _Axiom_ and proceeded to make their way back to WALL-E's truck, hands together as they went. The sunset casted a magnificent orange glow over the sky. It looked so peaceful and friendly to EVE.

EVE then felt a small tug on her hand. She turned her head to see WALL-E trying to pull her away from the path to the truck and towards somewhere else.

"E-vah," WALL-E said. It was apparent he was trying to take her somewhere. "Come, come."

EVE smiled and submitted to letting WALL-E pull her towards their mysterious destination.

WALL-E continued to pull EVE through alleyways and roads to the unknown location. _Where is he taking me?_ EVE thought. WALL-E was here for over 700 years, there were a lot of places he knew about that she didn't.

Eventually, they arrived at the city's edge. A small park bench with a nearby trash can and a light pole missing a light bulb overlooked a large sand dune that was originally an ocean. The orange glow of the sunset reflected off the bench as well as the entire dune, making the whole place look beautiful.

WALL-E wheeled over to the bench and lifted himself up on it. He beckoned for EVE to come sit with him by patting the open space of the bench next to him. She hovered over and deactivated her hover systems so she could sit down on the bench next to her partner. She took in the sunset casting a beautiful orange glow over the horizon as the sun was on the brink of disappearing over the hills. This was very romantic.

And yet it all looked familiar. EVE thought back to her evaluator mission, back when she first met WALL-E. She looked over her camera recordings in search of something resembling this place.

After a few minutes, she got something: a small section of camera footage showing the exact same scene. The footage was in black and white, signifying that she was in stasis at the time. WALL-E must've brought her here sometime after he gave her the plant.

EVE remembered reviewing those recordings back on the _Axiom,_ when the Captain placed a camera display unit on her head to show the images of Earth. She remembered WALL-E taking care of her during that time: shielding her from the rain with an umbrella while getting hit by lighting, putting a container over to shield her from bad weather, even wrapping her in a blanket while he slept on the roof next to her.

EVE was so emotionally touched by WALL-E's determination to risk his life for her. And he continued to do so afterwards: he nearly go blown up in an escape pod to get her the plant, he held onto the plant even after being shocked by Auto and nearly dumped out the garbage airlock, and he even struggled to keep the Holo-detector open while she looked for the plant.

EVE was lucky to have WALL-E. He treated her like a goddess, coming to her whenever she called as well as doing whatever she wanted. But she returned that care because he deserved it.

"E-vah?"

WALL-E's voice of concern snapped her out of her trance. She turned to WALL-E, who was watching her with that loving look he always gave her. EVE suddenly felt an emotional spike and she instinctively seized WALL-E by the optics and pulled him towards her for a large spark-kiss.

"Whoa!" WALL-E yelped. He clearly hadn't been expecting that.

"Romantic." EVE said softly as she released her grip on his eyes. She loved his reactions whenever she displayed her affection towards him. They always amused her or made her feel warm.

"Oh." WALL-E responded, showing he understood. Then his optics suddenly lifted as a sign of an idea coming to his head. He pointed to a trash can over to his right. "E-vah, look."

EVE looked at the trash can. She noticed a strange shape on it. As she took a closer look, she saw that it was a heart with words in it. The words read: WALL-E + EVE.

WALL-E must've written this back when she was in stasis. It was so touching to know that he had fallen in love with her from the start.

"Oh WALL-E!" EVE said lovingly. She grabbed WALL-E and pressed his head to her chest in another emotional spike instinct. WALL-E didn't move at all in her grasp, he just turned his head to look up at her, his expression showing he was happy.

EVE slackened her grip on him, setting him down on the bench but keeping her arms on him. She leaned her head on top of his in a soft display of affection. She didn't want this moment to end. She wanted to stay here and enjoy it with WALL-E as long as possible.

Then WALL-E pressed the play button on his recorder and the song _It Only Takes A Moment_ began to play. EVE felt so warmed by that song. That song taught them both the meaning of love and also brought them to love each other. It became their special song.

EVE closed her eyes, taking in only the feel of WALL-E in her arms and the soothing sound of the music. Seconds felt like hours, the world around her seemed to disappear as those warm feelings overwhelmed her. Never had she felt so much happiness.

Eventually, WALL-E spoke. "E-vah."

EVE jumped back into reality and realized why he alerted her: it was dark, the sun had long since set. She checked her clock. 8:32, they were out here for a long time. Funny, it didn't even feel that long; it only felt like a few minutes.

EVE was disappointed. She wanted to be out here longer. She wanted to enjoy the now-passed sunset with her WALL-E just a little more.

"Home?" WALL-E said. The look on his face and the disappointed tone of his voice suggested he was thinking the same thing.

"Home." EVE confirmed. Even though she didn't want to leave either, they still had to get home to get some rest. Besides, they could always come back another day.

WALL-E sighed, then hopped off the bench and held out his hand. EVE willingly took it in her own and the two set off for the truck.

They traveled through the darkened and empty streets. Their only sources of light being the moon's peaceful glow, EVE's bright blue eye forms, and WALL-E's solar charge display. The humans were nowhere to be seen. Since building proper shelters was still a work in progress, the humans would retreat back inside the _Axiom_ for rest during the night. The Captain said that once suitable living conditions have been established, the humans wouldn't be relying on the _Axiom's_ luxury treatment anymore.

The two continued on, eventually reaching the truck and settling in for the night. WALL-E took off his treads and placed them on the hanging rack by the ramp door while EVE pulled the ramp lever to close the door.

EVE looked around the truck, examining WALL-E's diverse collection of items as well as the hole in the roof she created during her attempt to save WALL-E. They would have to get that fixed sometime.

WALL-E stood over by the VHS player, _Hello Dolly_ in hand as he waited for her to come over and watch it before they tuck in for the night. EVE hovered over and brought the large magnifying glass over the small IPod screen as WALL-E placed the cassette into the player. The screen flashed to life and _Hello Dolly_ began to play.

WALL-E took EVE's hand as the movie played and sighed to her lovingly. EVE giggled from his reaction and leaned in to give WALL-E a small spark-kiss.

Eventually, the movie ended and the two proceeded to go to bed. EVE, however, took notice of the black pad they had found earlier. She went over to it and began to work on it to try and figure out more of its secrets. WALL-E rolled over to her side and watched her work with interest. He wanted to discover some secrets as well, one of the main effects of his curiosity.

EVE worked callously on the pad, inputting several different overrides in order to bypass the security measures and access the pad's contents. She wasn't doing well. The pad's security blocks shut out her overrides and she was constantly met with "Access Denied" or "Section fifthteen authorization required," filling her with frustration.

After a few minutes, she got something: a command. "Reanimation procedure ready, confirm to commence procedure."

EVE was confused. What did "Reanimation procedure" mean? She hit the confirm button out of curiosity to see what the pad's response would be. The screen suddenly filled with a new entry: "Confirmation accepted. Please locate stasis pod 11337K and insert command unit into main access port."

"Huh?" WALL-E warbled. He didn't understand what the command meant, neither did EVE.

EVE sighed in defeat. She didn't want to go looking for something else in order to use this "reactivation command." She placed the pad back on the shelf and turned in for the night.

"E-vah?" WALL-E voiced in concern. He must've noticed her frustration and was attempting to comfort her.

EVE turned to him, relaxed a little, and stroked his optics to show she was better now. "Sleep." She said. They were both tired and needed some rest. They would be working soon, so the pad's mysteries would have to wait some other time.

"Okay." WALL-E responded. He then proceeded to box up and slide into his sleeping space, giving her one last loving look before his head disappeared inside his body.

EVE watched WALL-E for a while, then began to enter her dormant state to rest for the night. Her mind raced with questions, primarily about the "reanimation command" and what it would do if she ever found that pod.

She disregarded the thought, instead focusing on getting some sleep to prepare for the next day. If she didn't find the pod, it wouldn't matter. All she ever _really_ wanted to do was be with WALL-E.

Still though, it was a mystery to be looked into.


	3. The Meeting

WALL-E scooped up another pile of trash into his compartment, then compacted the junk into another cube.

Four days had passed and now he and EVE were beginning to do their part in the recolonization efforts. WALL-E was back to doing what he had been doing the past 700 years: compacting trash. This time, however, he was actually enjoying work as EVE was assigned to assist him, and he enjoyed EVE's company.

WALL-E picked up the trash cube and handed it to EVE, who then flew away and placed it in the ten foot high cube tower they had been making. Work had progressed much faster because of EVE's help, although WALL-E had to show her how to properly set up the towers at first. But when she got that handled, she stacked cubes like a pro. It was only a few hours, but they already managed to get about 567 cubes stacked so far.

EVE came up to WALL-E and looked at him curiously. "Do good?"

"Good." WALL-E said. He clapped his hands to show his appreciation for her help. "Best."

EVE giggled to show she was pleased. She was really eager to pull her weight around. WALL-E was really thankful that she was helping him with his work. He would go through less work-related stress while also enjoy the presence of the one he adored.

"Break." WALL-E then blurted. Since they were working ahead of pace, he decided that they should take a small break. After all, they weren't in a hurry or anything.

EVE nodded in agreement. She clearly didn't mind taking some time off either. WALL-E thought it would be good stress relief too. He recalled back when EVE still did her original job of searching for plant life, she was going through a lot of stress when she had no luck.

The two then set off to mindlessly wander the trash dumps, deciding that it wouldn't hurt to look for some more trinkets. Good thing WALL-E brought his cooler.

WALL-E eagerly pulled EVE throughout the dumps. He wanted to show her one of his favorite hangout spots, which he aptly named "The Treasure Trove." He gave it that name because every time he went there, he would almost always find something of interest. Though he didn't go there often, he didn't want to find all of the treasures too quickly. Also, he had built entertainment sections in the area to fight boredom.

They arrived at the Trove and WALL-E excitedly showed EVE around. He showed her a large ditch that he used as a running track for when he felt like zooming on his treads as fast as he could. He took her to a busted-down incinerator with large hole at the top that he used to shoot compacted cubes into like basketballs. Finally (WALL-E was particularly proud of this one), he showed her a large makeshift maze that took ten years in the making.

EVE's eyes widened in surprise and she made a big "Whoa" in astonishment. WALL-E responded to that with a sense of gratitude, but became concerned when EVE was completely frozen for a good two minutes.

"E-vah?" WALL-E waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention. EVE suddenly shook her head, blinked a few times, and smiled at WALL-E.

"Amazing," was all she said.

WALL-E dipped his head in embarrassment and dragged his finger across the ground. He never knew what it was like to be admired by others for his work. Now that he was being congratulated by EVE, he felt very happy.

EVE took his hand in hers and grabbed his head with the other one to pull him in for a spark-kiss. WALL-E learned that when EVE wanted something, she would get it. Most of the time now, all she would want was to show him affection, and he definitely didn't object to that.

"WALL-E?" EVE asked in her cute, high-pitched tone of voice. She pointed with her finger to the distant areas of the Trove. "Exploring?"

"Okay." WALL-E replied. He knew every inch of the place thanks to extensive time on the Earth, but EVE was still new to these places. It wouldn't hurt to let her do some exploring.

EVE smiled in gratitude and flew off. WALL-E watched her fly around in the sky for a few minutes. She flew so majestically, leaving a smooth white trail in her path by her fin-shaped arms. WALL-E sighed in astonishment at how beautiful she looked when she flew. The way she flew so smoothly was one of the first things that made him fall for her. WALL-E only got a taste of what flying was like when he got hold of a fire extinguisher and flew alongside EVE in their dance in space. Now, he settled for letting EVE pick him up and fly through the air with him in her arms.

WALL-E continued to watch her until she disappeared behind some distant buildings, then set off to revisit the mementos of his past. He rolled up to the incinerator/basketball hoop and practiced throwing some cubes into the hole. Years of practice gave him unbelievably good throwing accuracy, he never missed his target. His throwing skills showed when he made sixteen perfect shots in a row.

After a few more successful shots, WALL-E finished his streak and strolled off to do some more exploring.

Then, he noticed a large pile of garbage out in the open, standing out from everything else. Feeling up for a bit of cleaning, he proceeded to compact the trash, setting up a small stack near a defunct WALL-E unit.

WALL-E took a moment of examine his lifeless brother. Back during the beginning of Operation: Cleanup, he worked alongside thousands of other WALL-E bots in cleaning the trash on the planet. He recalled how that as time passed; his brothers began breaking down, losing their functions from rust fatigue and loss of power. Only through the development of awareness as well as scavenging parts from broken units was he able to survive all these years.

And it was also how he ended up alone on the Earth with no one except his pet cockroach, Hal. Though he never seemed to feel lonely until he watched the two humans in _Hello Dolly_ holding hands, then he felt like he needed someone. Then EVE came along, and after a huge adventure, became his one true friend as well as playing a major role in bringing the humans back to Earth. He never felt lonely ever again.

WALL-E continued to scoop up the trash piles, humming along to _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ as he went. When their work day was over, he thought about treating EVE to a romantic night. He would ask the Captain to look up romantic things with that super computer of his so he could really appeal to her. EVE was really the only thing that went through WALL-E's mind.

_Clunk!_

WALL-E jumped out of his thoughts as his hands hit something hard when he was scooping in another trash pile. He cleared away some of the trash and found something black and strangely shaped. He tried to pull it out of the trash, but it wouldn't budge. After clearing out some of the debris to unveil more of it, WALL-E realized the object was actually part of something much bigger.

Eventually, he got rid of all the trash and saw the object whole. It was about nine feet long and four feet wide. It was a full black color with traces of grey throughout the design. The object was egg-shaped, like EVE when she was in dormant form, but also had a flat backside. Most of the top was taken up by a heavily tinted lid covering, giving the hint that this object contained something.

WALL-E circled the object, looking at its design with interest. There was a serial number on one side: 11337K. WALL-E thought he'd seen that number before, but couldn't remember where. He continued to circle the pod and noticed something strikingly familiar: the black eagle logo they had found four days ago on a pad during their treasure hunt.

WALL-E lit up with excitement and sped off looking for EVE. She would know what to do with the mystery object.

* * *

EVE was flying high around the buildings, surveying the area in hopes of finding another romantic spot to enjoy a sunset with WALL-E.

"E-vah!"

EVE heard WALL-E screaming her name (or how he pronounced it anyway) and immediately darted off in the direction of his voice. Her protective instincts burned only one thought into her head: WALL-E was in trouble.

She immediately hit supersonic speed, racing to WALL-E in high amounts of desperation. She almost lost WALL-E once; she wasn't going to let that ever happen again.

EVE came up to the Treasure Trove and let out a sigh of relief when she saw WALL-E unharmed. She noticed that he was extremely anxious in getting her to his position as he was frantically waving for her to come to him.

She dropped down to ground lever and floated up to WALL-E, raising her arms to prepare to give him a hug to calm him down. But as she came close, WALL-E grabbed one of her arms and started pulling her towards an unknown location. This caught EVE off-guard. WALL-E must be really eager to show her something if he denied one of her hugs. This had to be interesting.

WALL-E continued to pull her until they got to a large, black object. He let go of EVE's hand and darted off towards the object, turning around to face her when he got to it.

"E-vah!" He cried out. WALL-E hastily motioned for her to come over. He really wanted her to see this mystery artifact.

EVE hovered over and inspected the object. It was similar in design to the pad they found four days ago. Maybe it was related to the pad which was why WALL-E brought her to it.

WALL-E went to the other side of the object and pointed to something on it. EVE glided over to his side and looked at where he was pointing. She noticed the familiar black eagle symbol that the pad also had, along with the serial number 11337K. A spike of excitement overcame her as she remembered that the reanimation command that was on the pad was supposed to be used on a pod with this same number.

Then an idea flashed into her head: she had to go back to the truck and get the pad to activate what they now know as "stasis pod 11337K."

"WALL-E!" EVE said. She pointed to him, then to herself. "Stay. Get pad."

WALL-E nodded in agreement. He wheeled over to the pod and looked at her with excitement. "Go!"

EVE lifted up into the air and took off towards their truck, hitting top speed as she flew out of excitement and impatience. She was finally going to discover more of the mysterious pad's secrets.

She arrived at the truck in around seven seconds. That had to be a personal record to keep track of. One of EVE's favorite things to do besides being with WALL-E was flying through the air as fast as she could.

Once inside, EVE retrieved the pad from the shelf they had it placed on. She was about to head back when she heard a chirping sound. She turned to see Hal, WALL-E's pet cockroach, perched on one of the shelves, apparently asking for a treat. EVE smiled at the cockroach and grabbed one of the small, yellow cakes they kept for him and unwrapped it. She set it down on Hal's eating plate and patted him gently. Once he scurried towards the cake and vanished inside it, EVE took off with the pad in her storage compartment back to WALL-E and the pod.

It took about another seven seconds to get back. WALL-E was jumping up and down in excitement and quickly wheeled over to EVE's side when she arrived.

EVE took out the pad and activated the reanimation command. When the request to place the pad into the main access port came up, she looked around the pod for something that would seem like one.

"E-vah!" WALL-E called out. He pointed to an open slot big enough to place the pad lengthwise into. EVE came over to him and rewarded him with a spark-kiss for helping, then inserted the pad into the slot.

At first, nothing happened, then the pad's screen flashed red, followed by a series of colored lights dancing around the pod's lid covering with several chimes and beeps sounding off.

Then, steam came out of the thin line separating the lid from the rest of the pod with an audible hiss. WALL-E was startled from the sound and partially boxed up.

EVE went over to WALL-E and stroked his head to calm him down. She flexed her right arm, signaling to WALL-E that if whatever was inside was a threat, it wouldn't be around for much longer.

That seemed to have worked. WALL-E slowly came out of his boxed form and stopped shaking. EVE distinctly remembered WALL-E being slightly more jumpy back during their adventure. He must've developed more confidence since then.

The pod continually let out steam before emitting a slight screech. It must be opening, ready to reveal the secrets inside.

But then, the pod made a loud _clunk,_ and then there was silence. EVE floated towards the pod and ran her scanner over it to see what happened. The results showed that the opening mechanism was malfunctioning, most likely due to rust and insufficient power.

EVE let out a groan of annoyance. Having come so close to discovering a long-lost secret of the past, only to have it shut down in front of you was one of the most frustrating things that could happen.

"E-vah?" WALL-E asked curiously. Since he had no scanner, he had no idea what was going on.

"Stuck." EVE said to him. She gestured to the lid covering to indicate what she meant.

WALL-E paused for a moment, thinking by the look on his face. He turned to the lid and started cutting at it with his laser.

EVE watched him work on the lid. She didn't doubt that cutting laser of his; it was stronger than it let on. Back on the _Axiom,_ she had seen that laser slice through security force fields like a knife through hot butter. But still, it wasn't much compared to her ion cannon, except she didn't plan on using it as she might blow the pod and its secrets to pieces.

_Bang!_

EVE saw WALL-E jump back in surprise and fall on his back. She heard the loud banging sound too, and judging from the muffled sound of it, it was coming from inside the pod.

WALL-E got back on his treads and went to examine the pod curiously. EVE did the same, sticking close to her partner in case of danger.

Another _bang_ erupted, along with an outward dent forming on the lid covering.

EVE quickly pulled WALL-E back away from the pod and drew out her arm-mounted cannon. She kept it aimed squarely on the pod, charging up the power level for maximum effectiveness.

There was something _alive_ in there, and it was trying to get out.

EVE steadied her aim, checking to make sure WALL-E was behind her and out of her line of fire. Judging from the violent pounding, whatever was in there was most likely going to be threatening when it came out.

The banging continued, more outward dents formed on the led with each _bang._ The lid would eventually come off from the constant thrashing, so EVE made sure she was clear of the way.

_Bang . . . bang . . . bang!_

EVE felt WALL-E cling onto her free arm. He was nervous and probably frightened. She unraveled her fingers and tightly gripped his hand for comfort.

Dents continued to form as the pounding continued. There seemed to be no end to it. The lid was almost completely distorted from the dents, yet still remained connected to the pod.

EVE was getting nervous. Any second, this thing was going to burst out of the pod and most likely attack. She gripped tighter on WALL-E's hand to comfort herself.

Eventually, the pounding stopped. No more dents were forming and there was just silence.

EVE was confused. Did the thing inside give up? It didn't make sense. The lid was on the verge of coming off.

Her answer came when the lid suddenly burst off, shooting fifty feet into the air and landing some great distance from them.

EVE readied her gun, keeping it on the now lidless pod. _This was it!_ The being inside was about to reveal itself to the two robots.

Sure enough, there was a figure coming out of the pod. The figure looked like a human male, lean and slightly muscular. He was wearing a light blue shirt with black pants and black-and-white sneakers.

The man stepped out of the pod, surveying the area before his gaze turned to the robots and EVE's gun pointed at him. He froze, completely still and watching her gun. EVE took advantage of the time to examine him some more.

He looked young, maybe around the age of sixteen, but his stance and facial expression made him look older. His eyes were a neon-green color and his hair was short, light brown in color, and slightly unkempt. His skin was light, golden in color, giving the appearance of a Caucasian but with a good tan. He stood about six feet tall, possibly more.

EVE wondered how a human could still be around for nearly seven hundred years in an abandoned pod. Then her gaze dropped to his left arm, and what she saw left her stunned:

From the shoulder all the way to the fingers, his arm was silver and completely mechanical. He might not be human after all.

EVE decided to prove her theory by running her scanner over the man. He stood still as the blue beam ran over him, only blinking a couple of times. He seemed to be examining her and WALL-E as well.

EVE's scanner results came up on her HUD. Sure enough, there were only metallic components and energy signatures of unknown origin; no traces of organic matter whatsoever. This stranger was a robot, just like them.

EVE was getting uneasy. A robot that looked just like a human? She never thought that was possible, if not necessary.

She then noticed a strange symbol on the upper-right side of the stranger's shirt: a silver rectangle vertically positioned. EVE cross-referenced the logo with her wireless link to the _Axiom_ computer out of sheer curiosity. The results made her all the more uneasy.

The symbol was a lieutenant's insignia. The mysterious character was a military robot.

EVE was getting an itchy trigger finger now. If this robot was military, that meant he knew how to fight, and most likely had a weapons system of his own. If he was going to attack, he wasn't going to be an easy target.

But the bot just stood there, staring at them. _What is he doing?_ EVE thought. _Why isn't he making a move?_

EVE tried to tighten her free hand's grip on WALL-E's hand, but found she was only grasping air. She quickly looked to her side. _WALL-E wasn't there!_ EVE was panicking. This couldn't be a good time for him to venture off somewhere.

When she turned back, EVE was on the brink of losing it. There was WALL-E, and he was moving towards the strange man.

"WALL-E," EVE said, completely terrified. "No!"

But WALL-E ignored her plea to come back. He kept rolling towards the robot until he was right in front of him. The bot dropped his head to look down at WALL-E, who then extended his hand in a friendly manner.

"WALL-E." WALL-E said. He was obviously introducing himself to the character.

The stranger stared at WALL-E for a few seconds, then reached with his mechanical hand and shook WALL-E's with it.

"Uh . . . hi." The stranger spoke in a deep voice. His expression changed from serious to puzzled.

EVE kept her gun aimed at the bot in case he was going to try something. But he didn't seem to have any kind of violent intent. Instead, he seemed confused as to why WALL-E was greeting him.

The robot then released his grip on WALL-E's hand and turned to look at EVE with a slight grin on his face.

"I'm not going to hurt him if that's what you're thinking." He said to her. "I don't think you need to keep that out."

EVE wasn't buying it. His sudden friendly expression didn't have her convinced. She kept her cannon trained on him.

WALL-E then wheeled over to her. He placed his hand on her gun arm, gently pushing it away. His touch was somewhat soothing to EVE's spiking nerves.

"E-vah." WALL-E said softly. He was shaking his head to gesture for her to put her gun away, stating that the stranger wasn't a threat.

EVE hesitated for a moment, then complied. She always trusted WALL-E's judgment. He'd been right on several occasions, always seeming to know what to do.

WALL-E let out a beep of gratitude, then grabbed EVE by the hand and pulled her towards the strange robot. EVE was still a little nervous. The man could still be a threat, but WALL-E's cheerful expression showed she could relax a little.

When they came up to the stranger, his face was still in a friendly state. EVE decided to probe this character for some information.

"Name?"

The stranger paused for a moment, then spoke. "REX."

"Directive?"

He paused again. "Military enforcement, that's all I can tell you."

EVE cocked her head to the side. That intrigued her. "Why?"

"Top-level classification. You don't have the authorization. Sorry."

EVE felt slightly insulted by that last part, but REX was trying to be nice. She didn't have to be mad.

REX straightened up, then decided to speak. "I don't believe I got your name. I already know WALL-E here."

EVE felt a little embarrassed. She forgot to introduce herself to him.

"EVE." she said.

"Nice to meet you, EVE." REX said with a slight nod of acknowledgement.

EVE sneaked out a smile. REX turned out to be friendly after all. How strange.

REX gestured to WALL-E, who was standing by EVE's side, and then to her. "I'm guessing you two are friends?"

EVE decided to prove him wrong with a big display. She quickly turned to WALL-E, seized him by the optics, and gave him the biggest spark-kiss she could. WALL-E sighed loudly, then fell on his back. REX's eyebrows raised slightly, the faint look of surprise on his face.

"Oh, lovers then?"

EVE nodded her head, letting out a small giggle as WALL-E lifted himself back on his treads.

REX started looking around, evidence of confusion shown on his face. "Mind explaining to me what happened here?"

EVE pondered for a moment. How could she explain to him all the things that had happened in the past when she had a limited vocabulary and couldn't say much?

WALL-E then came up to her. "Cap-tain," he said. "An-swers."

EVE quickly caught on: the Captain could explain everything with the help of the _Axiom's_ computer.

EVE nodded to WALL-E in agreement, then turned to REX, who was still watching them curiously.

"Come." She said

REX hesitated for a moment, apparently unsure of whether he should listen to her. WALL-E then rolled up to REX and grabbed his hand. He pulled him in the direction they planned on going until REX started walking, then he let go.

EVE was starting to like this day. They found a strange character and almost immediately he turned out to be friendly.

Maybe REX could share some more information about his past. He looked like he had a lot of secrets. Then again, REX did say top-level classification, so he might not spill anything.

Still though, _expect the unexpected._ That kind of thinking was how EVE ended up with WALL-E, and she couldn't be happier.


	4. True Colors

REX continued to follow the increasingly strange, yet interesting robots to their unknown destination.

He wasn't feeling too pleasant. Everything was so different. The buildings were worn out and long since abandoned, there was trash everywhere (piles amounting up to over fifty feet), old BnL holographic billboards still broadcasting old advertisements and something called _Operation: Cleanup._

REX turned back at his stasis pod as they continued. The condition of the pod wasn't looking too good. It had obviously gone through several years of neglect. He was in there for a long time.

REX then paused for a minute to check his internal systems using his advanced tactical HUD. He needed to make sure he was still fit for combat since he was in unknown territory. His readings weren't coming up so well. The long duration of stasis put his energy level at a critical low and most of his built-in weapons systems were locked down. Further scans showed that 96% of his self-healing nanobots were in hibernation and in the process of coming back online.

He would eventually reach full capacity, but the process would take several weeks, he had so many functions all working furiously to bring him back to maximum power. So for right now, he was almost completely defenseless.

REX tried to get a satellite link. Being an advanced military robot, he had direct access to all BnL satellites that orbited the planet. He was treated with a denied request: _Unable to establish link, no functional link detected_ his HUD read out.

Now REX was getting nervous. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of satellites in the earth's orbit. How could there not be a single one that was operational? Without a satellite link, he couldn't figure out what was going on.

Now that he thought of it, where was he? What happened to General Warren? What happened to the shady confines of Blackwing HQ? And what happened to the Blackwing staff responsible for monitoring his condition?

"REX?"

REX snapped out of his thoughts as the small, cube-shaped robot WALL-E came up to him, probably concerned as to why he stopped.

"Oh sorry," he said to him. "I was just thinking about something, let's move on."

WALL-E still seemed concerned and didn't move, but looked reassured when REX made a slight grin to show he was okay, then he turned back to the other robot EVE and took her hand as they continued moving, occasionally turning back to make sure REX was following.

REX studied the two with interest. They were unlike anything he's ever seen, and since he was military, he's been around. He seriously doubted they were threats, even though EVE had a gun trained on him at first. Their innocent-looking appearances suggested they were standard BnL models. If they were Syndicate bots, they would've attacked him on sight. Instead, EVE just held her gun on him while WALL-E stood back for a moment, then approached REX and introduced himself.

Not to mention the two robots were sentient. REX was the only robot in existence that was sentient as he was created with that function. The only plausible conclusion was that those two somehow developed sentience.

It also showed that they had personalities. WALL-E seemed to be very cheerful and positive-minded. His choice to confront REX also showed that he was somewhat fearless and also friendly. REX actually took a liking to him.

EVE was a bit different. She was obviously very protective of WALL-E and didn't seem to have any kind of fear. REX would have to watch himself around her as he detected traces of ion in her right arm, where she kept her gun. Ion could do serious damage to REX's systems in his current state.

But what interested REX the most was the two robots in love. He didn't understand much of the concept of love. Only from what he heard is that it is a very strong bond between two beings. Much like the bond of brotherhood he was taught in the military.

REX continued to follow the two as they came to a part of the city that was inhabited. There were both humans and robots working together on the surrounding area to get it cleaned of trash.

The humans all wore red BnL jumpsuits and were strangely overweight. REX wondered how they could all be in such a state of obesity. However, they did seem to be attempting to work to their limits in clearing the area of trash.

Some of them stopped working to look at the trio moving through the area.

"Hey look," REX heard one say. "It's WALL-E and EVE, and they got someone with them."

REX noticed WALL-E and EVE waving to the humans, both were smiling in their own unique ways. Apparently, the two were very popular around here. He also noted that everyone was talking about him as if they have never seen him before, which they haven't.

"Who is that man?"

"How is he so skinny?"

"Anybody notice the metal arm?"

The humans continued to watch him for a few more seconds, then returned to their work as REX continued on with WALL-E and EVE.

Several miles later, a large ship appeared in the distance, casting a huge shadow that engulfed several blocks of land. REX analyzed the ship's design using his advanced scanner, which worked by just simply looking at the object of interest. The ship was BnL design, but it was more advanced than the tech he used to work with. The ship's hull was extremely pressure-resistant with several powerful thrusters on the rear. It was obviously designed for space travel. He didn't need a scanner to see the name of the ship: The _Axiom._

WALL-E and EVE were moving towards the ship, approaching a ramp that lead into one of the side entry hatches. Maybe there was something or someone in the _Axiom_ that could explain to REX what had happened since he was in stasis. If the ship was like naval vessels, then there must be records of past events onboard.

REX followed the two bots up to the entry hatch. EVE pressed a button on the hatch, causing it to open while WALL-E rolled up to REX and grabbed his hand to pull him in.

WALL-E was a strange little robot, seeming to have no fear of REX whatsoever. He found that interesting. Perhaps he should get to know a little bit of WALL-E and EVE. They seemed like such intriguing robots.

First things first, he needed to find out what had happened since he was out.

* * *

Captain McCrea stood in his quarters onboard the _Axiom._ He was consulting the ship's computer for the necessary instruction on recolonizing and taking detailed notes with a holographic notepad. He had lost a considerable amount of weight after the landing, but still had some degree of chubbiness, not yet at the skinny side.

"Define materials." He said to the computer.

The computer evaded the order. "Captain, you seem to have some visitors waiting at the main elevator."

"Who are they?"

The computer put up a live video feed of the entrance to the main elevator. The video showed two familiar characters and one McCrea didn't know.

"The visitors are Evaluator Probe One and the Waste Allocation unit, along with an unknown being."

"Unknown?"

"There are no records of the character in the _Axiom_ database. Further scans reveal the character as a robot."

McCrea rubbed his chin in interest at the new character. "Send them up."

"Right away."

McCrea had formed a close friendship with WALL-E and EVE ever since WALL-E came along. He admired WALL-E's tenacity at getting what he wanted. Eleven days ago, he had helped return the humans back to their proper home when all he wanted was to win EVE's heart. McCrea would do anything for WALL-E if he needed something, not only because he respected WALL-E's nature, but also because of what had almost happened to him:

WALL-E had nearly been killed after being tazered by Auto and crushed under the Holo-detector. McCrea recalled how horrible that was for EVE since she had come to love him at the time. The way she screamed in fear was a nightmare that had been forever burned into his head.

McCrea felt guilty for WALL-E's near death experience. When WALL-E was about to be shocked by Auto, he did nothing. He could've launched himself at Auto to buy WALL-E time to get away, or he could've attacked GO-4, disabling his tractor beam so EVE would be set free and handle the rest. But he didn't, he just sat there and did nothing, and WALL-E paid the price for it.

But that was in the past. WALL-E was working properly and now he and EVE were living together happily. Their lives were much better now that they were together.

But still, McCrea felt like he owed WALL-E everything. Bringing them back to their home unintentionally, that little trash compactor deserved everything McCrea could offer to him.

A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened, and WALL-E and EVE came out.

"Good to see you two again!" McCrea said cheerfully.

The two robots smiled at their old friend, then turned around and beckoned to something still in the elevator to come out.

Then, a tall thin figure who McCrea assumed had to be the unknown robot came out. The character looked around the cabin before noticing McCrea and acknowledging him with a nod.

"You must be WALL-E and EVE's new friend," McCrea held out his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Benjamin McCrea, captain of the BnL starliner, the _Axiom._ "

The stranger approached McCrea and shook his hand with his silver metallic one. It was cold to the touch. "Lieutenant REX, leader of Squad 45 of BnL special forces division: Market Garden."

McCrea blinked in surprise. "You're military?"

"Affirmative, Captain."

"How did you end up here?"

"I've been meaning to ask you the same question," REX gestured to WALL-E and EVE. "These two just recently brought me out of suspended animation, and judging from the looks of things, I've been asleep for a long time. Would you mind telling me what year it is?"

"2805, how long has it been since you were out?"

REX's jaw dropped. "Too long," he said before turning away and staring at the ground, apparently shocked by the news.

WALL-E rolled up to REX's side, obviously concerned for his new friend's state. "REX?"

REX didn't respond. He just stood there, pinching the bridge of his nose in disappointment.

"REX?" WALL-E said again. He grabbed his mechanical hand to get his attention.

"I'm just confused, that's all." REX finally spoke. "Just a lot of questions and no answers for them."

WALL-E beeped like he understood. McCrea had found out that WALL-E was one of the caring kind. Whenever someone was down, he would do whatever he could think of to cheer them up.

WALL-E then rolled over to the captain's desk and grabbed the miniature replica of the _Axiom._ A couple days after the landing, WALL-E seemed to have taken a liking to the figure, so McCrea told him that he could play with it just so long as he puts it back when he was done.

McCrea turned to EVE, who was smiling. She was indeed proud of WALL-E's caring nature. It was how she fell in love with him when she first viewed her camera recordings of when she was in stasis and WALL-E looking after her during that time.

"He hasn't changed one bit," McCrea said to her. "Has he?"

EVE nodded her head in agreement and giggled slightly. She turned back to WALL-E and REX as McCrea followed suit.

WALL-E waved to REX for his attention. When REX turned to look at him, WALL-E held up the miniature _Axiom_ model to him. REX looked at the toy, then back at WALL-E, evidence of confusion showed on his face.

WALL-E then pushed a small button on the side, which caused the miniature model to light up with several multi-colored lights. The lights continued to flash until WALL-E pressed the button again, then he held the toy up to REX again.

This time REX grabbed the model, finally catching on that WALL-E was trying to help him. He examined the model and pushed the button on the side, causing the lights to repeatedly flicker on and off. REX continued to play with the model for a few minutes, then gave it back to WALL-E and smiled to show he was better.

"Thanks WALL-E," he said. "I feel better now."

WALL-E smiled in accomplishment, knowing that his work was done. He turned around and rolled off to return the replica back to the desk, getting a quick hug and spark-kiss from EVE along the way. McCrea was proud of WALL-E. He couldn't help but feel the greatest respect for his good nature. There needed to be more individuals like him.

REX straightened up, then turned to McCrea. "Can I take a look at your computer logs for a minute? I need to find out what had happened in the past."

"Sure," McCrea pointed to the ship's computer. "Knock yourself out."

REX nodded in gratitude, then walked over to the _Axiom_ computer.

"Computer," he said. "Copy all _Axiom_ data since date of creation to my internal database. I want everything."

"Minimum of section five clearance required to initiate comma-"

"Subject Alpha, authorization code: 6609-5512."

". . . Authorization confirmed, transferring logs now."

REX had his head tilted down as all of the _Axiom's_ data was being copied to his memory module. It looked like he was processing and reading the data as it streamed in.

McCrea stood back in surprise. How could REX possibly have all of the _Axiom's_ data copied to his database? There was a ton of information: robot schematics, ship layout, and lots more. That amount of data would cause any robot's database to overload and crash.

A few seconds went by, then the computer chimed in. "Transfer complete."

REX lifted his head and turned back to McCrea. "Okay, now I know everything."

McCrea was shocked. "How can you contain that much data? I've never seen a robot that could do something like that before!"

REX avoided the question. "You are the only human society on the planet, is that correct?"

"As of right now, yes. The _Axiom's_ passengers are the only humans on the planet."

"Then I guess I can tell you the story of my past, seeing that I am no longer restricted by protocol."

WALL-E, and oddly enough, EVE, bounced up and down in excitement. It seemed that they were eager to listen to REX's story.

"Uh . . . sure, go ahead." McCrea said. He called up his personal hover chair and sat in it. It felt a lot roomier since he wasn't as big as he was before.

REX leaned against the computer desk and proceeded with his story:

_Back in 2085, Buy n' Large was at the peak of its development. It had over thousands of businesses worldwide and soon becoming involved in every kind of issue, from politics to manufacturing and even military affairs._

"The military?" McCrea said in surprise. "I never thought Shelby Forthright would be one for enforcing violence, if he was in charge at the time."

_Forthright was a little wary of rebellions, there were a few who disagreed with Buy n' Large's idea of global unification. And yes, he was in charge at the time. He was given a special formula in 2023, back when BnL was founded, that drastically increased his lifespan, courtesy of Blackwing._

"Blackwing!" EVE shouted with enthusiasm.

_Blackwing was a special division of Buy n' Large tasked with creating the most advanced technology ever to exist. Only the best of the best of scientists worked within its doors. Because of its important task, Blackwing was a top-secret organization. Only Forthright and a handful of high-ranking officials knew of its existence. Also, they were my creators._

WALL-E, EVE, and McCrea all stuttered in surprise.

"Why did they create you?" McCrea had to ask.

_Remember what I said about rebellions? There was one group in particular that threatened BnL's existence. That group was the Syndicate. The Syndicate was a terrorist organization that strangely appeared from nowhere to topple Buy n' Large's power for reasons unknown. Their numbers consisted of numerous factions: criminals, gangs, corrupt fanatics, and even other terrorist groups. They made their presence first known by conducting an invasion in Africa in 2088 after BnL had managed to restore the country, removing the common problem of disease and famine. Thus began the Control Wars, or the ill-fated World War 3._

_The Control Wars erupted between BnL military forces and Syndicate loyalists. Buy n' Large had the money and the numbers, but the Syndicate had ways to keep up in the war. They recruited anyone that had a bone to pick with Buy n' Large, some of them being former BnL scientists, giving them technological experience. Also, several corrupt governments of third-world countries that were too stubborn to integrate with BnL as well as companies run out by the powerhouse provided financial support to the Syndicate cause._

"But how do you and Blackwing fit into this?" McCrea asked.

_When the war erupted, Blackwing was tasked with manufacturing weapons for the military. They started out with advanced weaponry and better armor for standard infantry. Then there was antigravity tech and better maneuvering systems for aircraft in the air force. Next came diverse tech provided to Special Forces, ranging from auto sentries to personal force fields. Finally, there was me._

_In 2089, a meteor crashed in New York. Blackwing agents were first on the scene; by the time the local authorities arrived, there was only an empty crater. The meteor had a unique energy substance that possessed the ability to instantly replace any lost portions. It was simply named "R-15" for time-saving purposes. R-15 was the start of my creation as it serves as my primary energy source._

_My original name was Subject Alpha. I was created to be the strongest weapon ever to exist. The Blackwing scientists used the best tech they had to create me (some of the stuff they used were early prototypes). I was also created with sentience so that I could possess the qualities that made the perfect soldier: combat instinct and thought process._

_It wasn't easy, my creation. The entire Blackwing company worked on me nonstop for over a year. The funds necessary for my construction nearly put the entire Buy n' Large company in bankruptcy. They wanted to make sure I was the best there is. It all paid off in the end though. When I was finished, I had thousands of different functions (weapon systems, tools, tactical readouts, and so forth), I was fully sentient, and I was ready for my directive, which was to bring an end to the Syndicate._

_But I wasn't yet ready. I still had to develop the combat capabilities that made a soldier. Instead of having the knowledge flashed into my memory module, I was sent to be personally trained by one of the best soldiers of the entire BnL military: General Gerald Warren._

_General Warren was a legend. He was an excellent fighter back in his infantry days, having quickly risen through the ranks and entering Special Forces in a very short period of time. His tactical genius was unrivaled as he became an officer; he made numerous decisions that saved thousands of lives during the war. General Warren was tasked with training me to be the best soldier and later served as my CO throughout the war. His training didn't go to waste. Not only did he train me physically, but also mentally. I learned to think more individually, think on my own._

_When I was first created, I was blindly obedient to any official that gave me orders. Warren taught me human concepts: understanding, awareness, and even emotions. He wanted me to be more like a real person. The General's attempts weren't wasted: I developed an understanding of my situation and even developed a personality. Not to mention I realized Blackwing's intentions and developed a strong dislike for them._

"You turned against your creators?" McCrea asked. "I'm pretty sure you had a good reason for that."

_Blackwing may have consisted of the best minds the world had to offer, but those same minds were also uncaring. They thought of me as only a product. They didn't care about my condition or my development, they only wanted results. I was basically a dead man to them._

EVE gasped in horror. WALL-E immediately went to her and patted her hand gently for comfort.

_But General Warren saw me differently. He distrusted Blackwing as much as I did for their cold-hearted attitudes, but he saw me more like a lost child. He took me in under his wing as my training progressed: teaching me moral concepts, asking me if I needed anything, and even defending me against Blackwing officials who tried to have me shutdown for numerous reasons. He gave me my nickname: REX. Warren was like a father to me._

"Wow!" McCrea spoke again. "It must've been great to have someone look out for you."

_As my training concluded, I was ready to do my part in the war. Under General Warren's command, I served several roles in the war: frontline infantry, infiltration and sabotage, and even relief efforts. My hard-worn experience and advanced offensive capabilities made a huge impact in the war effort._

_Later in my career, I was assigned as part of Squad 37 of an elite group known as Market Garden (named after the famous operation conducted in World War 2). Market Garden consisted of the best of the best of soldiers who were tasked with missions that couldn't afford failure. My skills were put to their limits throughout my time with them. I had demonstrated excellent performance throughout my time with Squad 37, surpassing my superiors' capabilities with my own. I was eventually given command of my own squad: Squad 45. I served with them the rest of my time in the war._

* * *

"And that's my story." REX concluded.

WALL-E, EVE, and McCrea stared wide-eyed in amazement by the context of the story. WALL-E then began to clap his hands to show applause.

"Glad you liked it, buddy." REX said with a slight grin.

"But how did you end up here?" McCrea asked.

"From what I remember, I was placed in a stasis pod for a routine diagnostics run. Not sure what happened afterwards, but it somehow ended up with my pod being abandoned for a very long time. Then these two found me."

REX gestured to WALL-E and EVE, who in turn smiled.

"Well you're certainly welcome to stay as long as you like with us."

"Thank you Captain." REX found McCrea to be a good man. He could trust him.

REX then looked at WALL-E and EVE, who seemed to be watching him with interest. An idea formed in his mind.

"So what's your story?" REX asked them. "Is it as good as mine?"

The two robots lit up in surprise, then turned to each other with puzzled looks.

"Is there a problem?"

"They weren't actually designed to talk." McCrea told him. "Their speech is limited so they can't say much."

"Oh, I guess another story isn't a possibility."

EVE suddenly raised her head to show excitement on her face. That certainly meant she had an idea.

She went over to the captain's desk and grabbed a small cylindrical object. She turned to REX and waved it enthusiastically. REX turned to WALL-E for help, but WALL-E had the same clueless look as he did.

"Of course!" McCrea said. "That can work perfectly."

"What is it?" REX asked.

"It's a holographic video display. It can replay a robot's memories on a holographic screen."

REX was intrigued. "So it can play a video of WALL-E and EVE's past?"

"Only from EVE's perspective. The display doesn't work with WALL-E."

"Interesting, how does it work?"

McCrea turned to EVE. "Would you do the honors?"

EVE nodded, then planted the device on top of her head. A large holographic screen erupted from the device in front of EVE and the video began to play:

_EVE was flying through the air, soaring through empty city streets, a large crevice in the huge sand dune located in the city outskirts, and through the dune itself._

_She was floating through the city streets, scanning random objects as she went. She came up to a large power station and ran her scanner over it. EVE then heard something and quickly turned around and fired her gun. A small cockroach came out of the crater she made. EVE withdrew her gun and let the cockroach crawl on her arm. She giggled as it crawled on her, but immediately drew her gun again when she heard a strange noise and fired three times at a distant figure who turned out to be WALL-E._

WALL-E shuddered at the scene. REX assumed he remembered that clearly. He certainly didn't like it when he was fired at, and being military, that happened a lot.

"Talk about a way to greet someone." REX joked.

EVE shot him an annoyed glare, then beckoned to WALL-E to come over to her. He obeyed and EVE wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on top of his as the rest of the video played. REX was eager to know what caused those two to fall in love. Learning new things was a strong addiction he had.

_WALL-E took EVE into his home to escape a sandstorm. He showed several of his collectibles to her and she proceeded to play with each one. He played a movie on a small screen and EVE watched with interest. WALL-E then gave her a small plant in a boot, then her screen went black._

_Her security camera activated and everything was in black and white. WALL-E stood in front of her, worried by the look on his face as he tried to figure out what was with her. Days passed by as WALL-E did numerous things to take care of her: during a storm, WALL-E kept an umbrella over her while he got struck by lightning-twice; when extremely bad weather came, he placed a large container over EVE to protect her; during a cold front, WALL-E wrapped a blanket around her while he slept bare right next to her. It seemed that he never left her side throughout her time in stasis._

Throughout the scene, EVE gave WALL-E a spark-kiss every time he did something for her—which was a lot. WALL-E nearly fell over from her affection, making her giggle. REX suddenly felt great respect for WALL-E. Caring for someone while risking yourself was something to be proud of. If General Warren had met WALL-E, he would have most certainly taken a liking to him.

"WALL-E's a great guy," McCrea said to REX. "One of the most respectable individuals I've ever seen."

"I've been in the military for a while and I've learned things," REX replied. "Caring is one of the most important attitudes to have. WALL-E has a lot of that. He deserves EVE."

"Can't argue with that."

_WALL-E and EVE were being sent to the Repair Ward after the plant went missing and McCrea thought she was defective. EVE wasn't too happy with WALL-E since she thought he took it. She was getting a checkup from the Repair Ward's mechanics, which were large arms hanging from the ceiling. EVE was enjoying it, but then WALL-E crashed through the glass with a look of fear. He took EVE's gun arm from one of the mechanics and accidentally fired it at the Repair Ward's control board. The defective robots broke free and carried WALL-E out._

_EVE and WALL-E went to the Axiom's escape pods. EVE was intent on sending WALL-E back to Earth because she thought he was just trouble. WALL-E got stubborn and refused to go into the pod. GO-4 then appeared and they quickly went to hide. They found out that GO-4 had taken the plant from EVE and was trying to remove it by placing it in the pod and setting the pod to self-destruct. WALL-E went to get the plant, but got stuck in it as it took off. EVE took a nearby exit tube and gave chase. Fear consumed EVE when the pod suddenly blew up, but she was relieved to see WALL-E survived. WALL-E gave her the plant and she rewarded him with a spark-kiss. Then the two flew together in space in what seemed like a dance._

WALL-E and EVE both sighed at the scene. They must've really liked that time they spent together. Maybe REX could help them enjoy a moment like that again.

REX suddenly felt confused. Was he caring for these two? There was something about them that made him feel strange. He would have to think about it later.

_WALL-E and EVE were hiding behind a towel rack just outside the Lido Deck. WALL-E played a song on his recorder and was trying to say something to EVE. She quickly turned off the song and told him to stay while she went up to the captain's room via the trash chute._

_EVE gave McCrea the plant, leaving him stunned. He put the video display on her to see what the Earth looked like. EVE looked at the scenes of WALL-E taking care of her and was moaning softly. She had fallen in love with him._

Suddenly, the screen froze. WALL-E jumped up in surprise, apparently wanting to watch more.

"Captain?" EVE asked.

"What is it EVE?" McCrea replied.

"WALL-E." She pointed to WALL-E with a tilt of her head, then pointed to the elevator door.

McCrea caught the hint. "Hey WALL-E, why don't we explore some of the _Axiom's_ shopping districts? I hear that they got some interesting stuff there."

REX wasn't stupid. He knew EVE was trying to get WALL-E out of the room. But why?

WALL-E seemed to ponder the idea, but went to the elevator with McCrea when EVE gave him a tender spark-kiss and told him to go. When the elevator doors closed, EVE resumed the video with REX still in the room.

_Auto could not return the Axiom to Earth under Directive A113. GO-4 threw the plant into the trash chute, but WALL-E emerged out of the chute with the plant in hand. GO-4 held EVE with a tractor beam as Auto violently shocked WALL-E with his tazer._

REX's amplified hearing wasn't deceiving him, he could hear EVE sobbing. Although she couldn't produce tears, the noise she made was all too real.

REX instinctively put his hand on where her shoulder would be to try and comfort her. "If this is too much for you EVE, you can turn it off."

"No," EVE pointed to him. "Learn."

REX understood what she meant. He had to know how their relationship formed, even if she had to go through some painful memories again.

_WALL-E was very weak, his power was low and his central CPU chip was badly damaged. EVE tried to help him however she could. WALL-E tried to give her the plant to fulfill her directive, but she threw it aside, saying that he was her directive now._

REX was awed. EVE had just defied her directive and instead took on a new one: WALL-E. A directive was what made a robot _live_ , it was their only purpose. He found instant respect for EVE; she was a one-of-a-kind robot.

_WALL-E was holding the Holo-detector open while EVE was preventing a large chair transporter from crushing several humans. WALL-E's tread slipped and the detector came down on him in a sickening crunch._

EVE winced, then started sobbing louder. It was only getting worse for her.

"WALL-E risked his neck out just for you!" REX blurted out. "You deserved him EVE; I've never seen anyone else with that big a heart."

_EVE was back at WALL-E's truck, repairing him in a desperate attempt to bring him back. She was successful, but WALL-E's memory was lost. EVE desperately attempted to make him remember using several methods, but they didn't work. She took his hand in hers and gave him a farewell spark-kiss, which brought his memory back._

Something inside REX shattered from EVE's reaction to this scene. She broke out, crying openly and covering her face with her hands. REX saw how much WALL-E meant to her now. He had given everything he could to her and when she finally realized his nature, she nearly lost him forever.

REX promptly snatched the display off EVE's head and threw it aside. EVE was suffering badly from these memories and needed help.

REX looked at his directive, remove the Syndicate threat, and deleted it. The war was long since over and the Syndicate was no more. His directive had no point so he needed a new one. And he knew exactly what that new directive would be, so he put it in without hesitation.

REX got in front of EVE and got on one knee to level with her. "EVE, look at me."

EVE dropped her hands to reveal her face. Her eyes formed downward crescents, signifying sadness, and she was shaking slightly.

"I understand how much WALL-E means to you," REX said softly. "I understand why you love him so much, and I respect that."

EVE slowly calmed down. Her crying reduced to stifled sobs.

"I was taught to look out for the ones I cared for in the military. Protecting someone that you care about very much is important. It's a natural instinct."

EVE was calming down even more now as her sobbing slowly faded away.

"I've seen many good soldiers lose their lives, some of them were my closest friends. I know what it's like to lose someone you care for. So this is what I will do:"

REX had his new directive.

"I'll make sure nothing _ever_ happens to you or WALL-E. I will protect the two of you because you deserve each other."

EVE's sobbing faded to almost nonexistence. "Promise?"

REX balled his mechanical hand into a fist and thumped it against his chest. "With my life."

REX's new directive was confirmed and he didn't regret it. If General Warren was here, he would've been proud of him.

EVE made a weak smile and gave REX a hug. "Thank you."

REX knew the feeling of that hug all too well. On relief missions, young children would give him the same kind of hug when he told them he was there to help them. It was a sign of trust, EVE now fully trusted him.

He returned the hug and held it for a few seconds, then released her. EVE was now smiling, she was feeling much better.

"Why don't we head down and find your boyfriend," REX said with a smile. "I'm sure him and the Captain are waiting for us."

EVE giggled and quickly glided over to the elevator and activated it. They both stepped in and EVE pressed the button for the Lido Deck, making the elevator drop down.

REX decided that he should develop some bonding time with WALL-E. He liked the little robot. His quirky nature reminded REX of his first years, when he was full of enthusiasm.

He turned to EVE, who was smiling. Those memories were a thing of the past. They didn't have to matter anymore.

It was time for a new beginning.


	5. Bonds

EVE felt so happy now. REX understood her relationship with WALL-E and now he would dedicate his life to protect them. He was a great person.

The elevator continued to lower. The transparent wall gave the two robots a great view of the entire Lido Deck.

"You know," REX said. "They should make a relaxing spa for robots. I'm feeling a bit tense in the neck."

EVE giggled. It was strange how REX behaved. At first, he was stern but well mannered, then he changed to friendly and reassuring, and now to high-spirited and joking.

The elevator eventually reached the deck and the two stepped out. They found McCrea standing by one of the main travel lanes for the hover chairs.

"WALL-E?" EVE asked him as she noticed that WALL-E wasn't with him.

"He messing around with one of the hover chairs," McCrea said. "Should be around here somewhere.

"Look, there he is." REX said.

EVE turned to where REX was indicating. On the other side of the deck, she could see WALL-E zooming around the travel lanes on a hoverchair. WALL-E saw her and pressed something on the chair's armrest to make it zoom towards them at an alarming speed.

Since EVE just came off of crying from the past, she felt like _really_ showing WALL-E some love when he got to her. She reared back to get ready to grab him for a big hug.

But as WALL-E came closer, EVE noticed that he wasn't slowing down. She could see him frantically pushing buttons in an attempt to stop the chair, but nothing was working.

"Whoa," REX shouted. "Watch out!"

REX ran towards the oncoming chair and did something EVE couldn't believe: as he came close, he jumped over the chair in an acrobatic flip, grabbing the headrest of the hover chair as he was directly overhead and slammed his feet down hard as he came down behind it, bringing it to a halt.

WALL-E, EVE, and McCrea were all stunned. REX was unbelievable.

"H-How did you do that?" McCrea asked. "That was amazing!"

REX chuckled lightly. "Remember when I said I had thousands of different abilities? Acrobatics is one of them."

"What else can you do?"

"I think it would be easier to tell you what I can't do, which is flying."

EVE stood there stunned for a few seconds, then remembered what she was going to do.

"WALL-E!" EVE shouted in joy. She dashed towards WALL-E and came down on top of him, pinning him into the chair as he was still in it.

WALL-E was startled by EVE's sudden attack of affection, but couldn't do anything as she had his arms pinned down and was repeatedly spark-kissing him. EVE wasn't willing to let WALL-E go even if he struggled, although that was highly unlikely.

In what seemed like several long minutes, EVE stopped her love assault. She laid down next to WALL-E in the chair and held onto him to keep him from falling out of the chair since her kissing attack left him completely out of focus.

"You feel better now?" REX asked her with an amused grin.

EVE nodded to him in response. She gripped WALL-E tighter in a hug and nuzzled him gently. Right now, she just wanted WALL-E to be all hers.

WALL-E was moaning happily from her affection. He kept his head leaned into hers with his eyes closed and remained still for a long period.

"Those two just can't seem to get away from each other." REX said.

"Well, that's love." McCrea replied.

EVE nuzzled WALL-E some more and gave him another spark-kiss, making him sigh happily. She couldn't help but eavesdrop on REX and McCrea's conversation while she gave WALL-E affection.

"So whatever happened to Auto?" REX asked.

"I managed to shut him down at one point while WALL-E and EVE were fidgeting with the Holo-detector." McCrea answered.

"Good riddance. Someone like that who just doesn't care, they shouldn't be in a position of power."

"You've seen something like that?"

"There was one man I hated in particular because he was uncaring: Herald Jastle, chief official of Blackwing."

"How bad was he?"

"After I developed a personality, Jastle saw that as a defect and tried to have me shutdown. General Warren put a stop to that."

"How did Warren manage to do that?"

"Let's just say you wouldn't want to see General Warren when he gets angry."

"Ah, he was protective of you."

"I learned a lot from that man."

EVE was starting to like REX. He was very open-minded. He didn't suppress any of his feelings. She was pretty sure that he and WALL-E would get along very well.

"You mentioned that you had weapons." McCrea continued.

"My weapons systems consist of a wide variety, most of which come from transforming my left arm into the weapon of choice."

"Do they still work?"

"As of right now, no. My extended time in stasis put most of my systems in hibernation. It's going to take a few weeks before I can use them again."

EVE felt WALL-E struggle slightly in her grip. When she looked at him, he was watching REX intently. He wanted to tell REX something.

EVE released WALL-E and he immediately jumped off the hover chair and rolled towards REX. She got up and followed him, curiosity overwhelmed her as she wanted to know what WALL-E wanted to tell REX.

When WALL-E got up to REX, he waved for his attention. When REX turned to him, he pointed to the exit hatch. EVE already caught on what he was trying to say.

"Tour." EVE said. WALL-E nodded to her response.

"I see," McCrea said. "WALL-E wants to show you around and introduce you to the others."

"Sure," REX responded, forming a grin. "I'm up for a little walk, I need to stretch my legs anyway."

"You guys go ahead; I have some important business to take care of."

"Really? What for?"

"It's a secret. You'll find out tonight."

"You know, back in the military, a surprise for me was usually getting shot at. You better watch yourself."

McCrea laughed. "Come on, I'm not that kind of person. Besides, the EVE probes are the only ones with weapons."

REX chuckled slightly, then gave McCrea a friendly slap on the back. "Well, looking forward to that surprise." He turned to WALL-E. "Lead the way, buddy."

WALL-E quickly sped off to the exit hatch and waited for them. EVE flew after him while REX jogged his way there.

"Hyperactive, isn't he?" REX said along the way.

EVE giggled, REX had a point: WALL-E was energetic. The only times he would ever stand still was when he was low on power, watching _Hello Dolly,_ or when EVE was giving him affection. If he wasn't involved in any of that, he was all over the place.

When they got to WALL-E, he was jumping with excitement. EVE couldn't help but giggle at WALL-E's over enthusiasm as she went to open the exit hatch.

When the hatch opened, WALL-E quickly dashed out. He stopped at the ramp and turned around, waiting for the two to follow.

"Alright," REX said. "If you're that eager, why don't you run? I can keep up."

WALL-E turned to EVE. Judging from his expression, he was asking her for permission. He never really did anything unless she let him.

EVE smiled. "Go WALL-E." She said. She gave him a spark-kiss as a sign of approval.

WALL-E smiled in gratitude, then turned around to get ready to speed off. He looked back at EVE and REX to make sure they were ready. EVE didn't have to do anything, but she nodded to WALL-E to signify she was ready. REX however, put his right foot back and slightly bent his forward knee, a sign he was ready to run.

WALL-E took off, zooming down the ramp and onto the dirt-covered grounds at high speed. EVE dashed after him while REX followed in a sprint.

They made impressive time in their run. The trio raced through the city streets, all moving with incredible speed. EVE could go faster, but she planned on matching WALL-E's pace since she didn't know where they were going first.

It wasn't until they got to the broken highway that EVE realized they were heading for the truck. She should've expected that WALL-E would show their new friend his home first.

EVE certainly would enjoy showing REX their home. She knew that WALL-E would want to show him all of his treasures. EVE remembered that when she and WALL-E first met, he was showing her everything he had in the truck. He was certainly proud of his trinkets.

They came up to the truck. REX stopped a few paces before it and examined the truck with keen interest.

"This is your home?" He asked WALL-E.

WALL-E nodded, his slightly bouncing body signified he was getting very excited. EVE was going to have to calm him down at some point. Usually, if WALL-E got too excited, he would end up causing trouble. She remembered a few days ago, WALL-E's overexcitement caused a bit of a dispute with some maintenance bots and EVE had to bail him out.

"Looks roomy," REX continued. "How about a look inside?"

WALL-E eagerly pulled the opening lever to lower the ramp. EVE noticed he was bouncing faster so she grabbed him in an affectionate hug until he slowed down and relaxed. She knew that her affection would always calm him down. It had worked before several times.

When the ramp lowered completely, EVE and WALL-E each grabbed one of REX's hands and pulled him in. An amused grin showed on REX's face.

REX looked at all of the various items on WALL-E's shelves with interest. EVE could already tell that he was impressed.

"You're certainly the collector, WALL-E." REX said. "You've got all kinds of things here."

WALL-E, sure enough, started grabbing things off the shelves and gave them to REX. REX then showed what each object really did and told the robot couple the proper names of the objects. He was certainly very smart.

When WALL-E gave REX a fresh piece of "bubble wrap," as REX called it, he slowly started popping some of the bubbles. EVE watched his progress for a while, then asked for the wrap to demonstrate her popping skills. REX handed it to her and she promptly popped all of the bubbles in about two seconds. WALL-E clapped in amusement while REX shook his head.

"Showoff." He muttered.

WALL-E then showed REX their favorite movie, _Hello Dolly._ He placed it in the VCR and it began with _Put On Your Sunday Clothes_ like it always did.

"Ah, you're one for the classics." REX said.

WALL-E responded by grabbing the small lid that he used for a hat and started dancing around like the characters in the movie. EVE tried desperately hard to keep herself from laughing. WALL-E was so funny when he was dancing. She often wondered why she wasn't so amused by his antics when they first met.

WALL-E stopped when he came near EVE and offered his hand, asking for her to join him. EVE paused for a moment. She didn't want to dance because the last time she did; she accidentally knocked WALL-E into a wall and damaged his optics. She didn't want something like that to happen again.

But what EVE failed to notice was that REX had snuck up behind her and gave her a playful shove into WALL-E's arms.

"Don't be shy." REX teased.

EVE was about to turn around and smack REX for his teasing, but WALL-E had already pulled her away so they could dance. EVE concentrated hard on not moving too fast, since that was the primary reason that she was a bad dancer. She focused on copying WALL-E's movements the best she could.

Surprisingly, EVE found herself doing pretty good. She copied WALL-E's moves perfectly and even started throwing in some moves of her own, starting with grabbing WALL-E's hands and spinning in circles with him. They moved in perfect synchronization as they dance. EVE really enjoyed it; she hadn't felt anything like this since their dance in space.

Then, the movie changed to _It Only Takes a Moment._ The slow playing music caused the two to slow down their dancing and turn to watch the scene.

WALL-E and EVE saw the two characters in the movie holding hands, just like they were right now. Everything else was blocked out of EVE's mind as she got that warm feeling she had whenever the song played and she was with WALL-E. That song served as a reminder to EVE why she stayed with WALL-E: she loved him.

The two robots looked back at each other in one synchronous move. They exchanged loving glances as that powerful emotion overwhelmed them.

"E-vah." WALL-E said lovingly to her.

"WALL-E." EVE replied with the same tone of voice.

As the song came to its finishing point, WALL-E and EVE leaned their heads together, sharing the pleasant touch of each other's presence and fully immersing themselves in the powerful effects of love.

The song came to an end, but WALL-E and EVE still had their heads together. They held that spot until EVE heard what sounded like slow clapping. They both turned to see REX applauding them.

"Wow," REX said. "Who knew that just a movie could have such a deep meaning?"

EVE smiled. She liked REX for his ability to understand. His desire to protect them made such a big impact in her.

She turned back to WALL-E and gave him a light spark-kiss before letting him go. WALL-E sighed happily from her kiss, like he always did.

Then EVE noticed that WALL-E's left arm was hanging a little loose. When she let go of it, it fell off completely.

"Guess that dancing you two did dislodged WALL-E's arm," REX said. "Hang on, let me see what I can do."

REX walked over to WALL-E, but EVE waved him off. REX tilted his head in confusion, obviously wondering why EVE didn't want him to help.

EVE then went to the rotary shelves and activated the automated spinner. She kept the shelves rolling until she got to the section where WALL-E kept his spare parts. She grabbed an extra arm and attached it properly to WALL-E's empty socket. WALL-E then moved his new arm and flexed the fingers, adjusting to it just like he does with his optics.

"I guess that works too." REX said. He went over to the collection of extra parts and examined them curiously. "Where did you get all of these extra parts, there's so many of them?"

WALL-E gestured for EVE to stay back, stating he was going to handle this. EVE obeyed as she knew what WALL-E was referring to: how he ended up alone for about seven hundred years.

EVE was horrified when WALL-E told her that story. It was just so terrible and it was also another reason why she was so affectionate to him, not just because she nearly lost him. WALL-E needed the love EVE gave him.

WALL-E rolled up to REX with his head lowered slightly. REX's expression changed into a frown, indicating he knew that it wasn't going to be a good story.

"Other . . . WALL-Es." WALL-E said sadly.

"You took them off your brothers?"

"After . . . no . . . work."

"Oh, your brothers stopped working as time went by, leaving you as the last one."

WALL-E nodded in agreement, making a slight whimpering noise to show he was sad.

EVE was ready to give WALL-E a gentle hug to comfort him, but REX put his hand on WALL-E's shoulder, gently patting him.

"I know what you're going through WALL-E," REX said. "I've suffered the same myself."

WALL-E looked up at him, slightly confused.

"In the military, we lived by a code: the Brothers in Arms code. All the men that I fought alongside in the Control Wars, they were my brothers. Too many times have I seen them die in front of me just like that." REX snapped his fingers to make his point. "Seeing your own family die is one of the most traumatizing things that can ever happen. You and I are the same, we both lost family but we managed to pull through."

EVE couldn't believe it: REX was right. He and WALL-E became who they are now because of their past. They both experienced loss and pain. WALL-E was the last of his kind, seeing his brothers all fail over time. REX had family in the military, but he saw them die in combat, not to mention his suspended animation forcefully took them away from him.

EVE found herself excluded. She had never experienced the pain of loss, only a near loss from almost losing WALL-E. While it hurt during that time, the pain she felt was nothing compared to what WALL-E and REX were going through. They had it worse.

"WALL-E," REX said softly. "If you ever want a brother, you'll find one in me. Okay?"

"Okay." WALL-E replied. He lifted his optics to make a slight smile.

REX pulled WALL-E in for a hug. It was the kind of hug that only brothers could have. EVE found that touching.

REX then looked at EVE and gave her a smile. "C'mon, there's plenty of love for everyone."

EVE smiled and went to join in on the hug. Now she felt even happier to have REX around. Not only would he protect them, but he made WALL-E happy by being his brother. That is, if WALL-E wants him to be his brother.

After a few seconds, they broke the hug, smiling proudly.

REX then changed the subject. "The Captain mentioned you had friends. Can I meet them?"

WALL-E made an excited whistle, which made EVE giggle slightly. She already knew he was eager to show REX their friends.

"I'll take that as a yes."

They began to walk out of the truck, but then an audible _crunch_ erupted from underneath REX's shoe. WALL-E shrieked and dashed over to REX and lifted his foot off the ground. Under his foot, they found Hal, crushed and still.

"Oh shoot, WALL-E I'm sorry!"

But as REX apologized, Hal popped back up to show he was still alive. WALL-E let out a breath of relief and let Hal crawl up his arm to his shoulder. EVE felt relieved too. She liked Hal, maybe not as much as WALL-E did, but she liked him.

REX looked over Hal with interest. "Is this little guy yours?"

"Hal." EVE said.

"Huh, that's a nice name."

WALL-E stretched his arm out to REX and let Hal run down it and jump to REX. REX stood still as he watched Hal crawl all over him. His uneasy facial expression made EVE giggle. REX didn't seem to like having the cockroach crawl all over him like she and WALL-E did.

When Hal got to his mechanical hand, REX lifted it to his face and examined Hal. "It's pretty cool that you have one of these guys as a pet. They don't usually stay around anything that isn't one of them."

Hal then jumped off REX's hand onto a nearby shelf and chirped loudly. EVE already knew what he wanted.

WALL-E grabbed one of Hal's yellow cakes and gave it to REX. "Treat."

REX nodded, then took off the wrapper and placed it on Hal's eating tray. Hal darted towards the cake and vanished inside it.

"He must be really happy if that's all you feed him." REX said with a slight chuckle.

EVE giggled in amusement while WALL-E made a buzzing sound, which was his way of laughing.

"We should get going now." REX said. "You still need to introduce me to the others."

WALL-E and EVE nodded in agreement, and then the three walked out of the truck. WALL-E stopped to close the ramp, then took the lead.

EVE wondered how to do the introductions. WALL-E knew their friends more than she did because he was a bit better at socializing and he met them first. Maybe she should let him do the introductions.

* * *

WALL-E felt happy to have REX around. REX was just like him: he understood what WALL-E had gone through in the past because his past was similar.

WALL-E had never thought much about his past. He'd done a good job of keeping it suppressed in his mind by focusing on his trash-cleaning directive. He wondered why REX's question about his spare parts suddenly brought back to fruition. There was something about REX that WALL-E couldn't understand. He had gone through the same complication when he first met EVE: at first, he didn't know about the feelings of love. But he felt it overcome him as he first gazed at her. As WALL-E spent more time with EVE, he came to understand it more and more and then he had it finally understood when he first held her hand.

Maybe it had something to do with the concept of brotherhood: the bond that males had with each other, the old tradition of looking out for one another and helping each other out of any situation.

Then it hit him: REX had lost brothers in the past and so did WALL-E. They were the same. They were _brothers._

WALL-E stopped on the trail they were taking, turned to REX, and approached him. He needed to do this.

"What is it, WALL-E?" REX asked curiously.

WALL-E turned to EVE and gave her a light grin to give her the hint. Her wide-eyed expression and slight nod meant she caught it. She knew what he was going to do and encouraged him to do it.

WALL-E turned back to REX and held out his hand. "WALL-E . . . REX . . . brothers."

REX blinked in surprised. "Is that what you really want?"

WALL-E nodded and held his hand out more sternly.

"Alright," REX took WALL-E's hand in his mechanical one and they shook firmly. "We're brothers now."

WALL-E felt a sudden sense of joy. He had EVE, the one that he loved more than anything; and now he had a brother. His life would definitely change for the better.

EVE made an adoring sigh. She must've thought it was cute to see them become brothers. No sooner that WALL-E and REX parted hands did EVE pick WALL-E up in a loving hug. It was obvious she was happy for him to have a friend of the same blood (or whatever runs through a robot).

WALL-E reverted back to enjoying EVE's affection whenever she gave it to him. REX may be his brother now, but EVE was his true love. He still cared for her more.

"Hey, now that we're brothers," REX said with a sneering grin. "I can teach you pranks to pull on EVE."

EVE set down WALL-E and slapped REX in the back of the head. Her eyeforms were straight half-circles, which signaled annoyance.

REX chuckled slightly and rubbed his head. "Hey, I was just playing! I didn't really mean it!"

"Uh-huh." EVE crossed her arms to further express her annoyance.

WALL-E let out a snicker in amusement. REX and EVE seemed to have an interesting friendship going on: REX apparently like to get on EVE's nerves. But of course, they were friends. They wouldn't hate each other; it was just one of those friendly disputes.

EVE then turned to WALL-E and began moving towards him. Her still annoyed expression made WALL-E roll back slightly in fear. She heard him laughing and was going to get him for it.

WALL-E tried to roll away, but EVE was too fast. She grabbed him and practically slammed his face into hers for a sloppy spark-kiss. The kiss literally left WALL-E seeing stars. He lost all composure he had in him and fell face-first on the ground.

EVE had two ways of showing affection to WALL-E: Love and torture. The torture part was which EVE used her affection to make WALL-E suffer. Even WALL-E didn't understand how it worked, but it did.

Although there was only one other time EVE used her affection for torture. It was a few days after the landing. During a rainy day, WALL-E accidentally splashed some mud all over EVE, making her almost a full-brown color. EVE got furious and chased after him. When WALL-E got trapped in a corner, EVE rushed him and continuously spark-kissed him for over an hour. WALL-E was put on overload after that and didn't even have enough focus to move for several minutes.

When WALL-E came back to his senses, he saw EVE continuously swinging at REX, who was dodging her swipes and laughing hysterically.

"Ok ok, I'll stop now!" REX said after one of EVE's wild swings hit him in the stomach.

"Good." EVE replied.

REX slowly eased his laughing until he stopped. "Let's go find your friends now."

WALL-E nodded in agreement and lead them back on the path. He knew exactly who REX should meet first. Some close friends of his that he met back on the _Axiom._

Some time went by as they went on their way. Eventually they pulled up to a small dome-shaped bunker adorned with random patterns of graffiti and a metal door marking the front entrance. WALL-E went up to the door and knocked on it. He knew the small group that lived here.

After a few seconds, the door opened and out came a small robot that WALL-E knew very well: the small cleaner bot that hated messes; M-O.

"WALL-E!" M-O squealed in excitement.

"M-O!" WALL-E replied in the same tone. He brought his hand down to give M-O a handshake. M-O had become WALL-E's best friend since their adventure on the _Axiom._ Although WALL-E didn't like it when M-O tried to clean him, as that cleaning brush of his was annoying.

M-O turned to EVE and greeted her as well. Like WALL-E, he mispronounced EVE's name and called her "E-vah" as well.

EVE smiled and waved to M-O for a friendly gesture. M-O then moved up to REX and stared at him. REX looked back down at him with a slight smirk.

"M-O's your name?" REX asked him.

M-O nodded in response. He gave REX an intimidating glare and held it for a while. It looked funny to WALL-E, especially since REX could most likely crush M-O with his foot.

REX kneeled down and extended his hand. "Name's REX."

M-O scrubbed REX's hand, then he put his scrubber in it and shook it. REX made an amused chuckle.

"Ah, you're one of those hygenics, aren't you?" REX said. "Then you better keep away from me. We army boys tend to get dirty a lot."

M-O kept glaring at REX until WALL-E snapped him out of it with a question. "Others?"

"Oh!" M-O chirped. He gestured for WALL-E to wait while he went back inside the bunker. WALL-E could hear beeps and clicks of different pitches coming from inside. He knew who those voices belonged to.

M-O then came back out with several other robots that WALL-E recognized all too well: the rogue robots that helped him and EVE bring the humans back to Earth eleven days ago. There was VN-GO, the painter bot who kept leaking paint everywhere he went. PR-T, the cosmetics robot who couldn't give a good makeover (as WALL-E had once found out). D-FIB, the defibrillator bot that had a tendency to overload her defibrillator pads. L-T, the flashlight robot with a flickering light bulb. BRL-A, an umbrella bot that opened and closed randomly and without warning. VAQ-M, the vacuum-cleaner that had an allergy problem and tended to spray dust when he sneezed. Finally there was HAN-S, the massage bot that had the tendency to freak out on occasion and flail his arms everywhere.

WALL-E was happy to see his old friends again. On rare occasions would he and EVE hang out with them, mainly because they liked to have quiet moments together. The rogues stuck with WALL-E since he broke them out of the Repair Ward, not to mention they took a liking to _Put On Your Sunday Clothes._

WALL-E and EVE greeted their old friends with friendly hand waves. The rogues each responded with their own unique ways of saying hi.

The rogues then took notice of REX, who was standing back with what may have been shyness. PR-T suddenly dashed at REX and tried to apply makeup to him. She apparently couldn't as REX was dodging all of her utensils with incredible speed.

"Whoa!" REX said as he ducked under a razor. "I like my hair how it is, thank you very much."

Everyone laughed, then WALL-E beckoned to PR-T to stop attacking REX. PR-T complied, then went back with the group.

"Quite a diverse group you got WALL-E," REX said with a slight chuckle. "Reminds me of my friends in the military. Everyone was unique if you know what I mean."

EVE then proceeded to introduce each robot to REX, who in turn shook hands or nodded to each one. But when D-FIB greeted REX, she accidentally gave him a small shock from her pads. Surprisingly, REX didn't react, but the small spark from the shock travelled around his body, then went to his head and disappeared.

"That little shock restored some of my systems." REX nodded to D-FIB. "Thanks."

D-FIB blushed and made a slight buzzing sound. She couldn't giggle quite like EVE could. It sounded strange to WALL-E

WALL-E then took notice that the rogues still had those red locks attached to their heads. He pointed to VAQ-M's with a questioning beep and the rogues replied with trying to grab their respective red locks, but the locks held firm and wouldn't come off.

"Let me see what I can do." REX said. "I have an idea."

He went to VAQ-M and then did something very strange: his mechanical arm began altering its shape. It turned into a narrow, pointed shape with a sharp fire coming out the end. His arm had transformed into a cutting torch.

REX started working on VAQ-M's lock with the torch; small sparks flew out as he cut into the lock. VAQ-M was shaking slightly, apparently nervous from the torch coming unpleasantly close to him.

After a few seconds, the lock fell off and landed on the ground with a faint _thud._ VAQ-M buzzed in joy, then sneezed in REX's face.

REX wiped his face with his other arm. "I'll take that as a thank you." He turned to the other rogues and held up his arm-torch. "Who's next?"

The rogues began to line up and REX proceeded to work on them. WALL-E and EVE exchanged confused glances. Neither of them knew that REX could do that.

"REX . . . full of . . . surprises." EVE struggled to say.

"Uh-huh." WALL-E replied.

They turned back to see REX already done with the rogues. Seven red locks laid on the ground, separated from their original hosts. Everyone applauded REX, who responded with a nod. His mechanical arm then reverted back to its normal hand shape.

"That wasn't a big deal," REX said. "You should all see what I can really do when my systems reach full strength."

WALL-E would certainly look forward to that. REX said he had thousands of different features. WALL-E would definitely like to see all of his brother's feats.

 _Brother._ He would have to get used to that.

WALL-E turned to EVE to see her and M-O conversing about something. M-O then warbled at the rogues to come with him. They did so, leaving WALL-E, EVE, and REX at the bunker.

"What was that about?" REX asked.

WALL-E went up to EVE to ask her. M-O probably told her what they were doing.

"E-vah?" He asked.

EVE made a smile. "Captain . . . party . . . at _Axiom._ "

"That must've been the secret he was referring to earlier." REX said.

WALL-E was perplexed. Why was the Captain having a party at the _Axiom?_ They were supposed to be working to make the Earth a better place to live on. Maybe it was a celebration. WALL-E once learned that humans had a tendency to celebrate major events; and returning to the planet was a pretty big deal. That would be the most logical choice.

"Got a time frame on the party, EVE?" REX asked.

"Six o'clock." EVE replied.

"What time is it now?"

"Five, fifty three."

REX scratched his head in thought. "I wonder how he's going to tell everyone about it."

Then, as if right on cue, McCrea's voice echoed throughout the city. It sounded like he was using a loudspeaker.

_All working colonists, that includes robots, please report to the Axiom for a special event as soon as possible._

"Well," REX crossed his arms in humor. "Guess that answers that."

WALL-E bounced a little in excitement. He had never been to a party before, but he heard so much about them. They were supposed to be a time in which everyone would get together and have fun.

"You haven't been to a party before," REX asked him. "Have you?"

WALL-E shook his head to answer the question.

REX chuckled slightly. "Me neither, how 'bout you EVE?"

EVE shook her head as well.

REX laughed again. "Well, like General Warren once told me, there's a first time for everything."

WALL-E laughed with REX for a moment. Now REX was starting to become more of a brother to him. He just needed his own EVE; WALL-E's was off-limits.

"Well," REX then said. "We should start making our way to the ship. You two agree?"

WALL-E and EVE both nodded in response.

"Alright, let's go."

They set off, WALL-E and EVE took the lead and held hands as REX followed behind. The thing was, WALL-E felt a bit nervous. Parties were supposed to be fun, but he didn't know exactly what they did. The only thing he liked was being with EVE.

But then again, EVE was going to the party with him, and so was his brother REX. Maybe it could be fun after all.

WALL-E then felt EVE tugging on his hand. He snapped out of his thoughts to see he was behind her. His thinking was causing them to slow down.

"WALL-E?" EVE asked him in a concerned manner.

"Okay." WALL-E replied. He gave EVE a hug as a sign of reassurance. EVE made a loving sigh and returned the hug with the addition of a spark-kiss, making WALL-E warble happily.

"Love goes all around." He heard REX mutter.

The group then continued on their path, eventually reaching the _Axiom._ The ship had several blue and green banners hung over the entry hatches that read _Returning Day._ WALL-E thought that was a good sign. Even though that day was special because it was when the humans returned to Earth, he liked it because it was when EVE came into his life. There could have been no better day.

WALL-E noticed several humans and robots going up the entry ramps into the _Axiom,_ of course they were here for the party too. The trio merged into the horde, staying close together so they wouldn't get separated, and moved up the ramp to the entrance.

When they got inside, the three robots came to an amazing sight:

Throughout the inside, there were banners and lights of varied colors decorated on the structures. Holographic screens flashed simulated confetti along with arrows pointing to the Lido Deck. Tables of cups marked with different food icons were set up on tables that lined the sides. Humans and robots all wandered about, conversing with one another.

WALL-E, EVE, and REX continued to make their way through the crowded grounds, heading towards the Lido Deck. WALL-E couldn't believe how amazing everything looked. The brightly colored lights were so dazzling that he actually thought for a second that he would be blinded by them.

He looked at EVE. Her wide-eyed expression meant she was thinking the same thing.

"Looks like he went a little overboard." REX said, apparently not surprised at all.

WALL-E then took notice of a souvenir shop; the numerous items located there snatched his attention, practically calling to him to be collected. He beckoned to EVE and REX at the shop. They both paused, seeming to consider the idea, then agreed. They all went into the shop to do some looking.

WALL-E scrolled through the various items. There were so many diverse things he didn't know about. The souvenirs ranged from things that produced holograms for various purposes to solid objects that seemed more primitive in comparison. Thankfully there were labels to mark the objects, otherwise WALL-E wouldn't have known what they were.

WALL-E then found two items that he absolutely had to get: a handheld, oval-shaped pod that displayed on a holographic screen a flashy pink heart along with the words "I love you" that would be perfect for EVE; and a camouflaged colored armband that read "War Machine" that would seem suitable for REX.

WALL-E grabbed the items and took them to the cashier. But then he realized something: these shops needed money for their items, and WALL-E didn't have any. How was he going to get the items now?

But the female cashier smiled at him. "For WALL-E, anything's free."

WALL-E whistled to her in gratitude and took the items to REX and EVE, who were waiting for him at the front door.

"I like this!" REX said as he put the armband on his right, human-looking arm. "Thanks bro."

EVE was a little perplexed at her gift, but when the holographic screen came on and displayed the message, that expression changed completely.

"WALL-E!" EVE screamed in delight. She tackled WALL-E, knocking him on his back, and spark-kissed him repeatedly. Several passerbys stopped to look at the two robots having a romantic moment. REX laughed, then started waving the small audience off.

"He just got her a gift," REX said to them. "And she's thanking him for it."

EVE got off WALL-E after a few minutes, giggling madly as WALL-E laid on the ground. His senses fluctuated from the abundance of sparks sent into him. One spark-kiss felt good, but multiple kisses were just too much for WALL-E. He lost all focus he had in him.

REX then came over and lifted WALL-E back up on his treads. "C'mon lover boy, EVE and I got something for you too."

WALL-E was caught off-guard. No one had ever gotten him something before. He never had anyone until EVE came along; no one to give gifts to, and no one to receive gifts from.

EVE opened her inner compartment and pulled out what looked like a small flashlight with an L-shaped attachment on the side. She placed it on the front-left corner of WALL-E's torso and it attached there with an audible _thump._

"It's a special kind of flashlight." REX explained. "EVE picked it out for you. It uses magnetism to attach to your body and runs on a self-recharging battery."

WALL-E beeped in gratitude, smiling proudly. He felt so happy to have two others who cared for him as much as he cared for them. Having a true love and a brother made WALL-E feel very happy inside.

The trio continued on their way to the Lido Deck. They navigated through several groups of other partygoers as they made their way there. WALL-E certainly enjoyed seeing so many people around, but he had a small problem of being claustrophobic. Being crunched up in the crowds made him slightly uneasy.

As the deck came in sight, WALL-E saw something truly marvelous: blue and green colored banners lined the walls and even the ceiling, all displaying a sign: "Our home." Multi-colored lights lined the nearby structures and stands that were set up for the occasion. There was even a large, hologram of the earth itself over the entire deck.

WALL-E was certainly amazed by the decor. The detail was very great. The Captain certainly went a long way to get everything set up.

WALL-E then took notice of the Captain and two others that he could've sworn he met somewhere before. It was a blonde, short-haired man and a red-headed woman that seemed familiar, yet unknown.

The three turned and saw them, then smiled.

"Hey WALL-E," the blonde man said. "How's it going?"

WALL-E wasn't sure what to do. The two figures looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I don't think he remembers us," the woman said. "After all, he only met us once before."

McCrea then cut into the conversation. "This is John and Mary. They say that WALL-E ran into them back when we were still in space. Mary says it was when WALL-E was chasing EVE back when she was in stasis."

"Oh!" WALL-E chirped. Now he remembered those two: when WALL-E first came aboard the _Axiom,_ he helped John back into his hover chair after he fell out of it once and Mary had blocked his way to EVE, but let him through after he asked nicely.

WALL-E rolled up to them and shook each of their hands. EVE followed suit while REX stood back for a moment.

"So who's the new guy?" John asked.

REX quickly stepped forward and shook John's hand with his mechanical one. "REX, nice to meet a friend of WALL-E."

"Oh, you know WALL-E?"

"Met him and EVE earlier today. They're a really great couple."

"Well that goes to prove that true love has no limits."

"Too right."

REX then turned to McCrea. "So what's with the party? Seems like a strange time to celebrate the humans' return eleven days after the event."

"Well, it's just—wait a second! How do you know that it's been eleven days?"

"When we were viewing EVE's memories, I cross-referenced the date on them with the current date on the _Axiom's_ calendar and saw an eleven day difference. It was simple deductive reasoning after that."

"Oh. Well anyways, I tried to get the party set up for a seventh day anniversary, but everyone was too caught up in their work to get it properly set up. Today was the only good time slot I could manage."

"Ah, good thinking."

"Oh, I just remembered." McCrea turned to EVE. "I brought your sisters to the party."

EVE's eyes widened in surprise. "Sis-Sisters?"

McCrea nodded. "Your sister probes. Remember them?"

"Oh!" EVE jumped in realization. That must've meant she knew what McCrea was talking about. WALL-E recalled seeing four other probes just like EVE, but they were dormant so he never saw how they acted.

"Hey WALL-E," McCrea said. "I told the sisters all about your adventure with EVE and how you cared for her. They looked eager to meet you."

"Speaking of which," John said. "Here they come."

Everyone turned to see four robots exactly in appearance to EVE, but with different eye colors. One had green eyes, the second had white, the third had orange eyes, and the last had purple.

WALL-E heard EVE shriek in excitement, no doubt she was excited to see her blood family. He felt happy for her.

The four probes turned to the group and smiled. EVE quickly glided to them and greeted her sisters with a group hug, all of them were giggling uncontrollably.

EVE then brought her sisters over to the group. She introduced them to WALL-E by pointing at him and smiling proudly.

"WALL-E." EVE said happily.

The four probes surrounded WALL-E, examining him curiously. WALL-E felt nervous, he didn't know them at all. He wasn't sure how they would act as he seriously doubted they all had the same personality as EVE. It would be _big_ trouble if they did. One EVE was enough, having five EVEs all giving him affection would be too much.

WALL-E jumped in surprise when the purple-eyed probe squealed in delight.

"So cute!" She said. She reached out to WALL-E and tried to grab him, but EVE blocked her.

"No!" EVE snapped. "WALL-E, mine."

The purple-eyed probe dropped her eyes in guilt. "Sorry."

"Vi right," the white-eyed probe then said. "WALL-E cute."

EVE blinked questionably. "Vi?"

Mary jumped in. "I spent some time with them to help them develop personalities. They made up nicknames for each other in the process."

"That would seem suitable," REX said. "Can't have them all be called EVE."

Mary then turned to the probes. "Mind telling them your names girls?"

The four probes nodded, then proceeded with introducing themselves:

"Neon." The green-eyed probe said.

"Angel." Said the white-eyed one.

"Izzy." Spoke the orange eyes.

"Violet." Said purple eyes.

"Also, to take note," Mary concluded. "Violet prefers to be called Vi."

REX made a slight chuckle. "Pretty good nicknames . . . for pretty girls."

"REX!" EVE snapped in irritation. She was obviously not very happy at REX for coming on to her sisters.

The four probes however, giggled madly. WALL-E half-expected that reaction from them since they didn't have boyfriends, like EVE did.

"What? I can't help it!" REX said, his trembling lip indicated he was trying to suppress a laugh. "I used to get daily adrenaline rushes back in the military. My hormones go nuts when I'm around pretty girls."

EVE made an angry clicking sound at REX. WALL-E wasn't sure if REX was being truthful about the girls being pretty, or if he was just trying to annoy EVE again. He decided to take EVE's side on this one by rolling over to REX and thumping him hard in the stomach.

REX keeled over slightly. "Alright, I'll try and keep myself under control."

"Thank you, WALL-E." EVE said. She rewarded him with a spark-kiss for his support.

The four probes looked at WALL-E and EVE curiously. Something was on their minds.

"Something up?" REX asked them.

"EVE . . . kiss . . . WALL-E?" Neon asked.

"Uh-huh." EVE replied in a slightly confused tone.

"Can . . . we . . . try?" Izzy asked.

REX's eyes widened, then he covered his face. He was obviously trying to suppress another laugh. Now WALL-E was starting to see REX and EVE's friendship even clearer: REX was becoming a pain.

EVE was completely caught off guard by the question. Her eyes formed perfect circles in surprise. The probes continued to watch her, the expressions on their faces meant they were serious.

"Uh . . . sure." EVE then spoke. The slight stuttering in her speech indicated she was unsure of the answer she gave.

WALL-E was taken aback. Why would EVE let her sisters give him what she loved giving him, spark-kisses? Maybe she was trying to show them how pleasant a spark-kiss felt. WALL-E certainly enjoyed them, they always felt pleasant. He would stick to that assumption.

The probes moved up to WALL-E, and one-by-one, they each gave him a spark-kiss. WALL-E felt strange. They didn't feel the same as the spark-kisses EVE gave him. Most likely it was because he was in love with EVE, and he always relished in her love.

The sisters seemed different though. They each giggled slightly, probably enjoying the small spark that they each got.

EVE grimaced, maybe a little jealous, then floated in between WALL-E and the four probes.

"Remember," she said sternly. "WALL-E, mine."

The four probes nodded their heads, acknowledging EVE's orders.

"Well this certainly is an interesting reunion." REX said with a faint hint of amusement.

"You can have your little family fun," John broke in. "Mary and I got to set up the stage."

"Stage?" WALL-E asked.

"I'm giving out a speech in celebration of our returning day." McCrea answered.

"Don't get cold feet." REX teased.

"Very funny. By the way REX, I need to see you after I give out the speech. It's important."

"Sure, no problem."

John, Mary, and McCrea then took off after bidding their goodbyes. EVE's sisters, however, stayed with the robot trio.

"Is there anything you four need to do?" REX asked them.

"No." Angel replied.

"Well, we could just hang around until McCrea gives out his speech." REX turned to WALL-E and EVE. "What do you two say?"

WALL-E turned to EVE. Since it was mostly her family that made up the group, he decided to go with whatever she wanted. Maybe he could get to know a little bit more of the sisters, they already seemed likeable. After all, they were the same blood as EVE.

EVE pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded to show she was okay with it. WALL-E then gave his best interpretation of a thumbs-up gesture to REX to show they agreed.

"Well, there we go. Now we just need to figure out what to do." REX turned to the sisters. "By the way, my name's REX."

REX extended his mechanical hand out to the sisters and they each shook it, giggling slightly. WALL-E could hear EVE groan in annoyance, no doubt she was annoyed with REX around her sisters. But he seemed to have instantly changed his behavior, now he was being polite.

WALL-E just couldn't seem to understand REX. His behavior would change almost instantly and without warning. Maybe it was some kind of military training technique he learned to confuse others. If it was, it was working perfectly.

"Did McCrea ever mention anything about when he was giving out his speech?" REX asked.

"One hour." Vi said.

"Okay, well that solves that." REX then looked over his shoulder. "I see some entertainment games over there. Anyone up for some gametime?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, then the group of robots went to an entertainment division known as the gameroom. The gameroom was a large assortment of chambers that had games to play. There were tennis courts, a golf-range with a holographic backdrop, and several more.

When they arrived, EVE pointed to the entrance, which was a large circular opening, and indicated that they should meet back there when they were done. After that, everyone split up to play different games.

WALL-E wasn't interested in playing any of the games so he just wandered the area, watching everyone play their own games.

He found REX at a laser-shooter game, where he used a small laser gun to shoot at simulated targets that appeared on a holographic screen. WALL-E was amazed at his brother's aiming skills. He hit every single target that appeared with incredible accuracy and speed. WALL-E remembered EVE being accurate with her ion cannon, but REX's skills were insane compared to hers.

"Hard-won training thanks to General Warren gave me good aim." REX said to him. He then finished his game and walked off to a baseball simulation to do some practice pitching.

WALL-E wandered around more until he found EVE hovering out in the open. She looked lost so WALL-E went over to give her some company.

"E-vah?" WALL-E asked.

EVE shrugged her arms to show she didn't know what to do. It seemed she wasn't interested in playing any games like WALL-E was.

WALL-E took her hand and pointed to a nearby tennis court, one that EVE's sisters were at. "Watch?"

EVE paused for a moment, then smiled. "Okay."

The two then went over to the tennis court and perched themselves in some nearby bleachers while the sisters were about to begin their game.

The sisters divided into two teams: Neon and Violet against Izzy and Angel. The probes lined up on their respective sides, each with a tennis racket in hand, as Angel served the ball.

When the game began, the tennis ball zipped back and forth with incredible speed, yet the probes were able to get to it into time and swing at it successfully. It seemed to take forever just for one team to slip up and miss. Ten minutes into the game and the score was still 0-0.

WALL-E turned to EVE to see her smiling; she was enjoying the fun everyone was having. WALL-E felt happy for her since she was able to enjoy this great life. Just being with her made him happy, and he made her happy in return. Not to mention EVE being with her family added to that happiness.

WALL-E didn't have four sisters like EVE did, but now he had an older brother that looked out for him. That was the concept of brotherhood: always look out for your brother. WALL-E and REX lived by that creed in their past lives, the result being them losing their brothers in traumatizing ways. But just the two of them becoming brothers was WALL-E able to find that long-lost happiness again, happiness from having a family.

WALL-E then felt EVE leaning slightly on him and stroking his optics affectionately. He returned the love by putting one arm around her waist and taking her hand with the other one. EVE made his life matter after the past he had gone through. He just loved her more than anything else.

The two robots cuddled together as they watched EVE's sisters continue their game. WALL-E was about to drift off into a peaceful mindstate when he heard a faint _thud_ beside him. He turned to his left to see REX sitting in the bleachers beside him.

"It's great, isn't it?"

WALL-E and EVE cocked their heads in confusion. What was REX talking about?

"To see everyone having a good time, never having to worry about anything. It's great."

REX looked at them and smiled. It wasn't that wise-cracking smile he did earlier; it was a smile of pure happiness. WALL-E even noticed a tear running down REX's face.

"In the military, we always cracked jokes and pranks on each other just to keep a good mood. Being in the middle of a war, we knew that some of us wouldn't be coming back. We tried our best to stay positive, block out the fear of dying."

REX then covered his eyes with his mechanical hand. It sounded like he was whimpering.

"But now, the war's over. No more death, no more pain. Just everyone working together and being happy. It's just great."

REX suddenly started crying. WALL-E was completely caught off guard to see his older brother suddenly break down. He thought that soldiers were supposed to be tough. He thought they never cried.

Then the realization of why REX was crying made WALL-E instinctively roll over to REX and gently pat him on the shoulder. REX fought in a war, and he saw death first-hand. Seeing death up close was extremely traumatizing even for the toughest of minds. A being could be tough, but not unbreakable.

EVE assisted WALL-E by patting REX's other shoulder to help comfort him. EVE had inherited WALL-E's caring attitude and she always wanted to keep others happy too. WALL-E was glad for that.

WALL-E then played _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ on his built-in recorder. Maybe some music could put REX back in a good mood.

REX's crying slowed slightly and took his hand off his face. He smiled and actually started singing along to the song. WALL-E was impressed with his vocal skills. He hit every voice pitch perfectly.

REX continued to sing along to _Put on Your Sunday Clothes._ When it finished, he grabbed WALL-E and EVE and pulled them both in for a hug.

"Thanks," he said to them. "You two are the best."

WALL-E returned the hug and smiled at EVE. She smiled back and hugged REX too. REX and WALL-E had similar pasts; both of them were traumatized in the process. WALL-E was able to overcome his trauma by finding love in EVE. Now REX would overcome his trauma by becoming WALL-E's brother. It was truly family that could overcome the pain they suffered.

WALL-E continued hugging his brother until he heard REX make a sharp gasp. Then, WALL-E found himself and EVE being shoved away hard by REX as an unknown man tried to sneak behind with what looked like a tazer in his hand.

"What the-" but before the man could finish, REX delivered a swift kick into his chest, knocking him back. REX then vaulted himself off the bleachers and onto the ground, taking a combat stance with both arms raised and his right foot kept back. His face quickly changed from a smile to creased eyebrows and a straight lip. REX had _serious_ written all over his face.

"Drop it!" REX shouted. "Drop the weapon!"

The man didn't comply. Instead, he held up the tazer in REX's direction and waved it threateningly. "You don't scare me."

Then a hole opened up on the right side of REX's hip. A pistol came out, which REX quickly snatched in his right, human hand and aimed it almost immediately at the man.

"I said _drop the weapon!_ " REX yelled even louder.

The man took a step back, probably intimidated by the pistol, but then lowered his eyebrows and showed intent to attack.

"You're not gonna shoot me." The man said almost mockingly.

"Try me." REX growled.

WALL-E kept his distance to make sure the man couldn't get him, and looked at REX. He was completely surprised by REX's change of mood. He was angry and it looked like he had every intention to shoot.

A few seconds later, EVE and her sisters came into play. They surrounded the man with ion cannons drawn and ready.

"Drop the weapon now and surrender!" REX said. "Don't make this harder on yourself."

"I'm not going down like this!" The man yelled. He then charged at REX and brought the tazer up in an attempt to shock him with it.

REX quickly sidestepped the tazer and grabbed the man's arm. He twisted his arm with an audible _shhck_ sound erupting. The man screamed in pain, but was quickly silenced as REX brought his knee up hard into his ribs and followed it with a hard-impact elbow to the face. The man fell to the ground, unconscious.

REX stood over the man, placing his pistol back into the hole in his hip while several onlookers watched in shock.

"Get some Stewards in here NOW!" He barked. "I want this scum out of here!"

WALL-E was stunned. REX took down a man in just three quick moves. Hand-to-hand combat must've been one of the abilities that he said he had.

But that rage of REX's, it was unreal. REX's expression, his voice, the pistol; REX was actually going to shoot the man if he got pushed into it. REX was military and he fought in a war, which made him a killer once before. He killed in his past life, and had no problem with it. Not only did REX experience death, he caused death.

EVE quickly flew over to WALL-E and wrapped her arms protectively around him as her sisters helped REX keep watch over the unknown attacker.

Two Stewards came in after a few seconds, flashing red and blue lights from the signals on their tops. REX immediately went up to them and pointed to the unconscious man.

"This man just attempted murder!" REX barked to them. "I want him out of here!"

"Very well," one of the Stewards replied. "We will take him to the Captain, please come with us to present your report."

The Stewards then picked up the attacker with their tractor beams and went off with him. REX ran over to WALL-E and EVE, his expression quickly changed from enraged to concern as his voice lightened.

"You allright, bro?"

WALL-E nodded his head and stayed close to EVE. It wasn't the attacker that frightened him, it was REX's sudden outburst that got to him. His yelling scared WALL-E half to death.

"EVE, keep watch over him," REX then said. "I'm going to get this sorted out."

WALL-E watched as REX followed the Stewards out of the gameroom. He said he was going to discuss this with the Captain. Hopefully something could be worked out.

EVE snapped him out of his thoughts with a question. "WALL-E, okay?"

"Uh-huh." WALL-E replied. He was still partially frightened and shook slightly.

EVE got extremely protective over WALL-E since his near-death experience. It certainly showed when she grabbed his head with one hand and crammed him into her chest, holding him tight.

EVE's sisters obviously felt protective of WALL-E too. They floated over to the two and watched in concern.

"EVE?" Angel asked.

"Hmm?"

"Comfort?"

". . . Okay."

The four probes came in and surrounded WALL-E to give him a group hug along with EVE. WALL-E wondered why the sisters were being so nice to him. They were practically being affectionate like EVE.

Then it dawned on him: EVE's sisters were tight-knit with EVE. They looked out for their sister. Because WALL-E always made EVE happy, they greatly respected him and treated him with kindness.

Although it seemed Vi liked him a little too much. He could feel her nuzzling him gently.

"Vi." EVE warned.

Vi slowly let off. "Sorry, WALL-E cute."

EVE made a slight laugh. She obviously agreed with Vi's description of WALL-E. After all, she was in love with him.

WALL-E embraced the affection that he was being given for a while, then tried to break out as he started feeling a little claustrophobic.

The five probes thought differently however. They all gripped tighter on WALL-E and moved in closer, restricting his movements. It seemed that they mistook his sudden movement for agitation and tried to provide better comfort. Now WALL-E couldn't move at all.

WALL-E tried to turn to EVE, but couldn't move his head as there was about three heads pressed into his. So he resorted to calling for her.

"E-vah?"

"Hmm?" EVE responded.

"Space."

"Oh!" EVE quickly caught on. She broke off and beckoned to her sisters to follow suit. They did so and WALL-E finally got some breathing space.

WALL-E looked around at each of the probes. They all had concerned faces and watched him intently. EVE must've been feeling the worst as she quickly went back to WALL-E to give him another protective hug.

WALL-E stood still as EVE displayed her affection to him yet again. He knew that she needed to give him love to help herself. It was literally the only thing that made her feel better when she was stressed.

WALL-E gently caressed EVE's head with his hand to help her calm down. She responded by grabbing his hand and lightly pulling him in for a spark-kiss.

He enjoyed that familiar tingling sensation for a moment, then regained his focus to see EVE smiling. She was better now.

But WALL-E was still afraid of his brother's rage. REX didn't suppress the trauma like WALL-E once had. He was dealing with his past with rage, and the unknown assailant became an unfortunate victim of his anger.

WALL-E needed to help his brother. He needed to help REX adjust to a new lifestyle.

* * *


	6. A Long Day

REX was infuriated. How could something like this happen? He thought he left the past of death and hate behind.

He was in the elevator with the two Stewards and the unconscious assailant on the way to the pilot's room where McCrea was waiting. REX was furious because he saw the man's motives when he attacked with the tazer: he was going for WALL-E. That was when REX's combat instincts kicked in and he took out the man with the martial arts that General Warren had burned into his mind with relentless training. REX's main functions may have been in lockdown, but that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

The elevator doors opened and REX came out with the Stewards to a surprised McCrea standing by the view screen that oversaw the Lido Deck.

"What happened?" McCrea asked.

REX pointed to the unconscious man, who was still floating the Stewards' tractor beams. "This man just attempted to kill WALL-E with a military-grade tazer; I want to know what the hell is he doing with one and why!"

McCrea fell back slightly in shock. "No, not Michael."

"What?"

"That's Michael; he's in charge of the supply management for the rebuilding teams. He strongly encouraged the recolonization efforts and was very loyal to WALL-E. It makes no sense that he would turn against him."

REX pondered for a moment, then got an idea. He pulled out the tazer that he took from Michael earlier and gave it to McCrea. "Scan this."

McCrea froze for a few seconds, then walked over to the computer and placed the tazer on the computer's analyzer. The tazer floated in the analyzing beam as it was being scanned.

REX swore hard that his hunch was wrong. There could be only one reasonable solution to why Michael attacked WALL-E;and that solution was one that he hoped was false.

A few seconds went by, then the computer chimed in. "Analysis complete." A schematic of the tazer's inner workings displayed on the screen. REX cursed under his breath, he recognized those designs.

McCrea must've heard him as he turned around in his direction. "You know something?"

"That's a Viper's Sting. It's a Syndicate model tazer with a nuclear powered battery that gives it a powerful shock. Strong enough to wipe out anything it touches."

"Any idea on how Michael got ahold of it?"

"Best guess? I'd say he just found it somewhere in the trash outside. The Control Wars was fought on almost every inch of this planet. There's bound to be remnants of the war in certain areas."

"So why did Michael try to kill WALL-E with it?"

"That nuclear battery emits a nasty gas when it's used. My best guess is that he was playing with it before and inhaled too much of the gas, causing derangement."

"Is there a way to cure him?"

"Keep him restrained for a while, the gas should wear off after a few days and he should be back to normal."

McCrea then ordered the Stewards to take Michael to the Medical Ward and keep him in solitary until his condition improves. They obeyed and almost immediately went for the elevator with Michael still in their tractor beams.

REX felt he owed Michael an apology. He only wanted to protect WALL-E, his brother. Michael was deranged, didn't have any intent; but REX's anger got the better of him and he seriously injured Michael because of that. It was abuse from Herald Jastle and the Blackwing staff that gave him such a short temper.

REX took out his pistol and stared at it for a while. It was a specially designed pistol created only for him. What was unique about it was that R-15 was its ammunition supply, so it didn't run out of bullets and served as a backup in case REX's main systems were in lockdown like they were now. He felt ashamed because he almost killed an innocent man with it.

"REX?"

McCrea's voice made him jump out his thoughts. REX refocused himself to see McCrea staring at him in concern.

"Hand me the tazer." REX said.

McCrea reluctantly pulled the tazer out of the analyzer's beam and handed it to him. REX handled the weapon in his mechanical arm. He used his siphoning ability to drain the battery power, then he crushed the tazer in his hand and tossed it into the garbage disposal.

He turned back to McCrea. "We talk no more about this."

"Got it."

REX turned for the elevator and was about to leave to go find WALL-E and EVE, but as he went for the doors, he felt McCrea put his hand on his shoulder and stop him.

"REX," McCrea said. "I need to talk to you. I know I said I would talk to you after the speech, but I need to talk to you _now._ "

"What's it about?"

"Auto."

Just hearing that name made REX clench his fists in anger. Anything with Auto became _his_ business now. The soulless machine nearly killed his brother, which in turn nearly broke EVE's heart. Even though REX had never met Auto, he already hated him.

But REX slightly contained his rage. "What about Auto?"

"I found out earlier today that there were other ships out still in space, unaware that the earth is livable again. Auto controls the communications grid and is the only one who can contact them."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I was planning on trying to reactivate him and reason with him. Hopefully I can break through his A113 directive and get him to help us."

"Let me guess, you want me as insurance in case he attacks."

"Right."

REX thought about it for a moment. Even though Auto was important in bringing back the rest of the humans, he didn't want to bring back the one who nearly killed his brother. Auto was persistent in enforcing his directive and that cursed A113 directive was the reason he nearly killed WALL-E. If Auto came back, WALL-E would be in danger.

Then again, REX was a hyper-advanced military robot and Auto had nothing more than a tazer to defend himself. If he was at full power and had a good enough reason, REX could reduce the entire _Axiom_ ship to a pile of rubble with his weapons. Blackwing tech was no joke, REX possessed some serious firepower and he certainly knew how to use it.

"Allright, I'll do it." REX finally said.

"Thanks REX, I owe you."

"But if Auto tries anything," REX ejected his personal combat knife from a socket in the wrist of his mechanical hand and held it up. "He's done. I don't care how important he is for bringing back the humans. He hurt WALL-E in the past, and that makes him my enemy."

McCrea let out a sigh. "Fine, tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it's been a long day today, we'll handle him tomorrow."

REX replaced his combat knife, then turned for the elevator, giving the nearby lifeless Auto a scowl out of instinct. Didn't even meet the autopilot, but seeing what he did to his brother was enough to make REX develop a strong hatred for him. If Auto tried anything, REX would end him. It was what he was trained to do: defend those he cared for.

As he got to the elevator doors, he felt McCrea put his hand on his shoulder. "You've really bonded with WALL-E, haven't you?"

REX continued into the elevator and hit the button for the Lido Deck.

"No one messes with my brother," he said as the doors closed. "Or they'll have to answer to me."

REX was dead serious. One thing he developed from his military training was a spontaneous attitude. He could be the kindest being someone could meet, or he could become their worst nightmare. Anyone who came at WALL-E (and EVE) with bad intentions wouldn't be around to regret their decisions. That was how he would enforce his new directive.

Mess with the ones REX cared about, suffer the consequences.

* * *

McCrea wiped his forehead in exhaustion after the elevator doors closed. This was completely new of REX. He became incredibly violent when he mentioned Auto. It was like REX had a bad past with him.

And did he just call WALL-E his brother? What had happened since he was last with them? It seemed that they had already developed bonds.

McCrea wouldn't _dare_ doubt what REX said about anyone messing with his brother. REX was military, he was trained to kill and he had the means to do so. His anger already proved that he wouldn't hesitate to go to the extreme.

McCrea went to the computer desk and grabbed a holo-pad that contained his _Returning Day_ speech. He still needed to deal with that.

As he grabbed it, he turned to look at the motionless wheel that was once the autopilot of the _Axiom._ Too much had happened in the past: WALL-E brought the plant to the _Axiom,_ not caring about what purpose it served, but only wanting to be with EVE; Auto's A113 directive causing him to nearly kill WALL-E and stage a mutiny in the process; the entire Axiom security turning against them; and the pain EVE had gone through after nearly losing WALL-E.

"Auto," McCrea said to the lifeless bot. "I wish it could've been different, but you made the wrong choices. You put this on yourself."

McCrea then went for the elevator. As the doors closed, he started pondering the future. How was life going to be now with REX around? Just hearing those threats about Auto made McCrea shudder to think about what REX would do if he lost it. McCrea thought that REX would be something of a hero, but from his behavior, he wasn't a hero and didn't want to be one.

McCrea disregarded the thought. REX was loyal to protecting WALL-E and he trusted McCrea because he was on the same side as WALL-E. The only risk of REX being a wild card was Auto trying to cause harm again. Once Auto was handled, there would be nothing left to provoke REX.

Hopefully something good would come out of this. Their future depended on it.

* * *

REX made his way to the gameroom, checking to make sure that WALL-E and EVE were still there. Now that the tazer issue was resolved, he wanted to get back with them and enjoy some more peaceful time.

He arrived to see an entertaining sight: WALL-E was attempting the baseball simulation with EVE and her sisters watching. WALL-E was getting frustrated as he couldn't seem to get a strike with EVE and her sisters giggling in amusement every time he groaned in frustration. Just seeing them having a good time made REX relax slightly, not focusing anymore about the issue of bringing back Auto.

"Keep your arm out when you throw WALL-E." REX said. He noticed that WALL-E was simply lobbing the ball like a catapult. General Warren was a bit of a baseball fan, so he taught REX a little bit about the sport; and REX had a very good memory.

WALL-E followed his advice and kept his arm out as he threw the next ball. A perfect strike ensured as the ball hit its mark perfectly.

"There ya go."

WALL-E then finished his game and went up to REX. He stared at him with his optics tilted down slightly, a look of concern.

"REX?" WALL-E asked.

REX already knew where he was getting at. "The man was just deranged, he's being taken care of." He got down on one knee and put his hand on WALL-E's shoulder. "Don't worry."

WALL-E paused for a moment, then he went forward and hugged REX. REX could hear him make a slight whimpering sound. He was frightened.

"It's alright," REX said reassuringly. "I'm here for you."

WALL-E shook slightly, then gave a slight "okay" to show he was better. It was those words: _I'm here for you_ that REX had lived by. Warren always told REX that when he was feeling down. It gave him a sense of comfort because it told him that he had someone who cared. REX found himself saying it because WALL-E needed his big brother to be there for him.

REX looked at EVE. She smiled to him for his help. REX didn't know how love helped with reassurance, because he lived by brotherhood. WALL-E was his brother now, and REX was fiercely protective of his brother.

After a few seconds, they broke the hug with WALL-E smiling to show he was better. Then EVE picked up WALL-E in a loving hug and gave him a spark-kiss.

"My . . . WALL-E." She said softly. It must've been her way of saying she was happy for WALL-E to have someone that looked out for him. REX smiled. He was glad to be with two beings that cared so much for each other and always wanted to be happy. General Warren tried to give him a life much like that; he promised REX that kind of life when the war came to an end.

Then Neon came up to REX and gave him a light hug. It completely caught REX off-guard since he didn't expect that.

"Need . . . love . . . too." Neon said as she buried her head into his chest.

REX caught on: he needed some comforting too. That tazer issue really got him worked up and he needed to relax. Neon giving him a hug seemed to be working. REX was actually feeling more relaxed.

"Thanks," he said to her. "I feel better."

Neon smiled in success, then gave him a spark-kiss before parting the hug. REX's senses vibrated from the spark, but he liked how it felt. It was pleasantly tingling to his nerves. Now he knew why WALL-E liked those spark-kisses from EVE: it felt nice.

When REX refocused himself out of the pleasant feeling, he took notice of everyone watching him. If he knew any better, they were waiting for him to tell them what to do next. They looked to him as a leader.

REX checked the newly adjusted clock in his HUD. They had about five minutes before McCrea was scheduled to give out his speech. Might as well head back to the Lido Deck and get ready.

"Wanna go find some good seats for the speech?" REX asked them.

Everyone nodded in response, then they set off. REX led the way this time with WALL-E and EVE behind and the sisters bringing up the rear. They made their way out of the gameroom and back to the Lido Deck. There were a large number of humans and robots spread around the deck, which made the thought of finding good seats a low possibility. But strangely enough, there was a large open space near the Holo-detector with a sign that read "Reserved for WALL-E, EVE, and friends."

"Special treatment." REX muttered to himself. He never received special treatment in the military besides the care that General Warren gave him. It was supposed to make him less demanding for material items. It certainly worked, because REX barely kept any personal possessions in his past life.

When they came to the reserved space, REX spotted seven empty hover chairs in the distance. He decided to test his wireless hacking interface as it was one of his features that had just recently came back online. The hacking interface allowed him to take remote control of any electronic object with his mind. Very handy for sabotage and distraction.

He did it no sweat. He took control of six of the chairs and brought them over using only his thoughts. He organized the seats into a 2-row line facing the Holo-detector for WALL-E and EVE, and a 4-row line behind for the sisters. REX didn't want to sit down, he preferred to stand and keep an eye on everyone using the special perimeter cameras that were hidden throughout his artificial hair.

Everyone took their seats. WALL-E and EVE pulled their seats close together and removed the armrests so they could be closer together. The sisters took their seats, having some slight discomfort probably because their egg-shaped bodies weren't exactly made for the seats. REX took to an open space to the left of the arranged seats and stood there while they waited.

What REX took notice in one of his side cameras was that Neon was looking at him in what may have been adoration; it seemed that she had taken a liking to him. It made REX nervous. General Warren had trained him in a lot of things, but a relationship wasn't one of them. He hadn't even spent much time with girls in his career save for the transport pilots (of which most were women) that had saved his rear more times than he could count in insertions and extractions. Hopefully WALL-E could give him some advice on this sort of thing, and he wasn't joking this time.

Suddenly, the raised platform that the Holo-detector rested on began to light up. The holographic earth floating over it blinked a bright, fluorescent green and there was a faint humming sound coming from the _Axiom's_ PA system. Several holographic screens flashed with a picture of the earth and the words _Our Hom_ e. Looks like it was showtime.

McCrea then appeared on the platform with a holopad in his right hand as he smiled to the audience. A giant holographic screen appeared behind him and displayed a larger image of him for those positioned farther away and couldn't see him very well. REX had to give him some credit. McCrea certainly went a long way to get everything set up. How strange that REX wasn't around when WALL-E and EVE had their big adventure, but he came along for the celebration. He was the only one that didn't know what was going on.

McCrea pulled out a small earpiece with a microphone on the end and put it on his ear. As he spoke, his voice echoed throughout the entire deck.

"Well, we finally have something to live for, don't we? We're finally back home, back to earth."

There were small claps of approval from the audience. Already they were intrigued with his speech.

"Remember when we were all back in space? I certainly do. Back then, we hardly did anything. All we ever did was just sit in our hover chairs, constantly using the built-in command systems for requests, and just putting our lives in the hands of technology. But now, it's over. We're here on our home planet and we're working to make a difference. Sure we've had ups and downs, but we're humans, the one thing that made us unique was persistence. Am I right?"

REX had to agree with him there. He'd seen the tenacity and courage of humans during the war. Most of the Syndicate's forces were made up of robotic drones that never surrendered, never feared. For the soldiers of Buy n' Large, it was fight till you were rescued or dead, one of the reasons why that war was one of the worst ever fought.

"We're all making a difference," McCrea continued. "We're all working together to make our home a better place to live on. And soon, the other ships from the BnL fleet will make their way home too. Mankind will prevail!"

There were a few cheers from the audience. They were really starting to get into the speech.

"And everyone here knows who to thank for that: the small robot that came from an abandoned earth in pursuit of the girl of his dreams. The one who played a major role in bringing us home. WALL-E, will you please step up?"

WALL-E got out of his chair and rolled up to the platform. EVE gave him a boost up since he couldn't exactly get up there on his own.

"You know him well, but I'll introduce him anyways. This is WALL-E, the small hero who brought us back to our home. WALL-E worked as a cleanup bot on earth back when our ancestors first left the planet. Eleven days ago, WALL-E met EVE and immediately fell in love with her. EVE, come on up here too."

EVE floated up to the platform and hovered next to WALL-E. She drew out the fingers in her right arm and put them in his. From what REX gathered, those two really liked holding hands. He wondered how that felt.

"EVE is an evaluator probe previously assigned to search for plant life on the earth. WALL-E had given her a plant he found when they first met; and if I'm correct about this, when EVE was taken back to the _Axiom,_ WALL-E followed her. WALL-E had made it his priority to help EVE however he could. He cared for her."

REX could hear several "awws" emanating from the crowd. He was glad that these people had good hearts. There weren't that many good people back in his time. Then again, General Warren and the soldiers that he made friends with were the only people that he had ever met.

EVE wrapped her arms tight around WALL-E in an affectionate hug. WALL-E hung limp in her grip and tucked his head underneath hers, obviously enjoying her love.

"I won't go into detail what happened afterwards, but what I will say is that WALL-E and EVE had gotten us back home. They are our saviors. They're heroes."

REX anticipated a big conclusion from McCrea about WALL-E and EVE. Humans had a tendency to make big deals about major events; he learned that after reading about human history in the military library in his past life.

"So let's all give them a round of applause. To WALL-E and EVE! The saviors of mankind!"

Everyone clapped and cheered for the two. REX couldn't help but smile for the two robots. They did so much for the humans. He was just disappointed that he never got to see any of it firsthand.

WALL-E and EVE smiled and waved to everyone in gratitude. REX thought it must've really been something to be honored for your actions. During his military career, his operations were designated as covert; the general public didn't even know he existed.

"And that's all I have to say," McCrea concluded. "Enjoy the rest of the party."

McCrea, WALL-E, and EVE stepped down from the platform as the audience continued to clap in celebration. Several individuals all came by to shake their hands. REX watched them for a bit, then went up with the sisters when some of the crowd cleared. REX gave McCrea a friendly slap on the back and put WALL-E in playful armlock while the sisters gave a group hug to EVE.

"Not too bad," REX said to McCrea. "Kinda short thought."

"The morning announcements back during the cruising days were short too. Guess I made the speech out of habit."

WALL-E freed himself from REX's hold and went up to McCrea to give him a friendly handshake, signifying that he liked the speech.

"You liked it just because he was talking about you." REX teased.

WALL-E shot REX an annoyed look while EVE slapped him in the back of the head. REX rubbed his head, then laughed.

"Great party, Cap'. What else have you got on schedule?"

"Not really anything left." McCrea responded. "The party's going to end soon. We all gotta get some rest."

"Yeah, it's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

WALL-E, EVE, and the sisters all looked at them in confusion. REX cursed himself; he accidentally let the issue slip.

McCrea turned to REX. "Should we tell them?"

"They're going to find out sooner or later. Might as well tell them now."

McCrea nodded, then turned to the group. REX still felt unsure about reactivating Auto. The autopilot caused so much pain in the past, and because WALL-E was his brother, anything involving him would be REX's problem too. He looked out for his brother. That was what he lived by.

McCrea went ahead with their secret. "WALL-E, EVE; REX and I are going to reactivate Auto."

"What?" EVE snapped. Her sudden outburst caused WALL-E to box up and her sisters to take her flanks. That defensive formation the sisters made caught REX's attention. It seemed that they had some degree of combat training. That could be useful.

"Listen EVE," McCrea continued. "We need him. He can contact the other ships out still in space. He can bring them back."

EVE still didn't approve. She crossed her arms and stood guard over WALL-E with her sisters following suit. REX could understand that. He hated Auto as well for what he did to WALL-E. That machine deserved no better than being shutdown.

"Don't worry EVE," REX cut in. "I'm going to be the first face he sees when he comes back. I'll make sure he won't try anything."

EVE paused for a moment, then relaxed. It was clear that she remembered the promise REX made. He would ensure that nothing would happen to her or WALL-E. He would certainly keep that promise too. Even thought he knew them for less than a day, he already found a kinship with the two.

EVE then turned to WALL-E and gently stroked his partially exposed head in an affectionate manner. WALL-E eventually came out of his box form and leaned his head into EVE's hand, obviously enjoying her touch.

"We should all be going in for the night," McCrea said. "It's getting late."

"I guess so," REX responded. "I need to find a place to crash though."

WALL-E then came up to REX and looked up at him with a smile. "Home."

"You want me to live with you?"

WALL-E nodded in agreement.

"Thanks bro, I owe you."

"Allright," McCrea jumped in. "Time to make our goodnights. Gotta get ready for the next day."

Everyone then made their goodnights to each other, then WALL-E, EVE, and REX began to head for the exit. It was dark as they got outside. REX's internal clock showed the time to be 9:46. They were there for a while.

REX made a mental note to head back to his stasis pod tomorrow to get his things. He didn't carry much, but the possessions he had were very personal.

The three paced their way through the empty streets. There was no moonlight so it was very dark. WALL-E activated the flashlight that REX and EVE gave him and used it to light their way. He fumbled with it for a few seconds before he managed to get it on the right setting (it had several different light colors, for novelty purposes).

After a few minutes, they arrived at the truck. WALL-E pulled the lever for the ramp to come down and they all went inside. WALL-E took off his treads and put them on a nearby rack while EVE set up the VCR to play _Hello Dolly._

"You two like to watch that before going to sleep?" REX asked them.

They both nodded their heads.

"Seems suitable."

REX sat down on the floor behind WALL-E and EVE to watch the movie with them. As it played, he became lost in thought. He was in a new world. The Control Wars were over, the Syndicate was gone, and now he was in a society where everybody treated each other fairly. He was no longer fighting for his life and for a cause he had nothing to do with, he didn't have any reason to fight anymore.

But what was the big change was now he had a brother. WALL-E had been through a past much like REX's: loss of family. But still WALL-E was very kind; he always tried to make people happy, especially EVE. REX was proud to have WALL-E as a brother. WALL-E was unique, very unique.

As the movie came to an end, REX looked out of the hole in the roof that was created by EVE. The stars looked so peaceful as they glistened in the black sky. Not once in his past life was he able to enjoy peace, it was always war.

He looked back at WALL-E and EVE. They kissed each other goodnight, then went into their dormant forms, ready to go to sleep.

"Goodnight, you two." REX whispered.

REX laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Since his design resembled a human, he slept like a human did: by just closing his eyes. He didn't have a dormant form like WALL-E and EVE.

REX did a self-diagnostics check to see how his main functions were doing before he tucked in. His internal readout said that quite a few of his abilities were working properly (thanks to the small jumpstart by D-FIB). However, his primary weapons' systems were still offline and his self-healing nanobots read out as 89% hibernation.

That time would come. When he reached full capacity, he would devote his combat potential to fulfilling his new directive: protecting WALL-E and EVE.

REX made an exaggerated yawn, then closed his eyes. He put all of his systems on standby, but kept the motion sensor on out of habit.

Tomorrow, things would be different. But different doesn't necessarily mean bad.

* * *

_Somewhere, far away in space . . ._

A BnL starliner drifted amongst the stars. Its design was similar to that of the _Axiom,_ except it was much larger and narrow-shaped. The designation on the forward bow of the ship read out as the _Atlas._

In the captain's quarters of the _Atlas,_ a man stood by one of the viewport windows gazing at a beautiful, orange-colored nebula. He wore a captain's uniform like McCrea, but his uniform was jet black with dark-red streaks running along certain areas and golden emblems pinned on his chest. He was physically fit, apparently not a victim of obesity like the occupants of the _Axiom._ He had short loose hair, which was light brown with traces of grey, signifying that he was well-aged. The captains' list on the nearby wall showed his name to be Jasper Talon.

Talon lifted his right hand up to his face. He pushed a small button on his wrist cuff and a communicator opened up on it.

"Epsilon," he said. "Send up chief technician Rim Keller."

An electronic voice replied. "At once, sir."

Moments later, the main elevator opened. A young man came out, blond-haired and sporting a silver lab coat.

"You asked for me, Captain?"

"How is our _special_ passenger?"

"Holding up perfectly. I never thought cryogenics was a possibility, but this technology is unreal. It's so hard to believe that he's still frozen after about 700 years."

"He was a former member of the special science division, Blackwing. It was his job to make technology that seemed like a fantasy."

"Yeah, he was. I read my history. He was an inside man for the Syndicate, using some of Blackwing's technology to benefit them. Nearly won us the war."

"You still support them?"

"They gave my ancestors everything when they had nothing. They deserve my respect. You not too fond of them?"

"No, I'm not too fond of them. I've read my history too, and I learned about what they did. They've done a lot of unjust things. Can't believe he's their leader."

"Everyone thought they fell apart when the war ended in 2097. They thought wrong."

"You wonder why we still have him?"

"Of course. So he can lead us to a new era when we return to earth."

"But it's been over 700 years. There's probably not even an earth to return to."

"But our orders were-"

"Our fathers gave us those orders, but I see them as pointless. There's no reason to keep him alive."

Talon activated his wrist com again. "Epsilon, come down here"

"Yes sir."

A hole opened up in the ceiling. From it came a wheel-shaped robot exactly in design to Auto, but with a thick black coating and a blue-colored center eye.

"Epsilon," Talon asked the robot. "Is returning to earth a possibility?"

"Chances are low," Epsilon replied. "Ever since the BnL CEO issued Directive A113 to all starliners in 2110."

"Do you support this directive?"

"I am required to, but my options remain open. Sometimes directives can be made to be defied."

"But that is not the smartest decision to make." Keller hissed at him.

"That's enough out of you, Keller." Talon snapped. "You may leave."

Keller paused for a moment. "Yes Captain." Then he went for the elevator and left.

Talon sighed in irritation. He turned back to Epsilon, who was watching him questionably.

"He's smart, but he's still a kid," Talon said. "Still got much to learn."

"That human supremacy belief of his annoys me," Epsilon replied. "And I wasn't programmed to have emotions."

"I'm glad you do have emotions, partner. You were my only friend when I first took the position of captain. Don't know what you would be if you didn't have feelings."

"Thank you, Captain."

"But how can we return to earth?"

"The BnL flagship, the _Axiom,_ searches the earth for any kind of life to decide whether or not it is livable again. Despite A113, the _Axiom_ continues on with its assigned role. Like the rest of the fleet, the _Atlas_ cannot return until I get a positive confirmation from the autopilot of the _Axiom._ "

"Have you gotten anything?"

"I haven't spoken with Auto since 2115. He broke contact with me since I wasn't as persistent with following A113. He believed me to be defective."

"You're not expecting one, are you?"

"No sir, I do not believe Auto will contact me at all. With A113 active and his persistent nature, we will remain out in space."

Talon sighed again. He went back to the viewport and stared at the distant nebula.

"Why are we doing this, Epsilon?" He asked. "Why do we keep him?"

"You want an honest opinion, sir?"

"Please."

"Because we are lost. We don't know what to do and we look to the Prophet for guidance."

"But he was the head of the Syndicate terrorist organization. He was responsible for the violence that erupted during the ancient war."

"We still follow his orders."

"That army we keep inside the storage bays. Violence is the only thing he believes in. It's disgraceful."

"If you say so, Captain."

Talon went to a nearby desk, grabbed a small cup of coffee from the coffee dispenser, and took a drink from it.

"That will be all, Epsilon. You may go."

"Aye aye, sir."

Epsilon vanished up into the ceiling, leaving Talon by himself in his quarters.

"The Prophet was once a man," he said to himself. "But he let his own ambition cloud his judgment. He became a monster. Now I see why some of the passengers drifted away from his influence. He won't save us."


	7. Old Wounds

WALL-E woke up to a distinct hammering sound. He came out of his sleeping space, tired from his low power charge, and rolled into a small puddle that formed on the ground below the hole in the roof. It was raining.

WALL-E moaned in irritation. If it was raining, that meant there were clouds blocking the sun, and he wouldn't be able to get his much needed recharge.

His moaning woke up EVE and REX. They turned to him, then at the rain coming in through the hole.

"Never saw that coming." REX said. "Then again, weather is unpredictable."

WALL-E stumbled and fell over. He barely had the energy to do anything. He hadn't felt this bad since his experience with Auto's tazer.

EVE picked up WALL-E and cradled him in her arms. She nuzzled him and started humming _It Only Takes a Moment_ very softly next to his audio receptors. If it was an attempt to take his mind off his weak state, it was working perfectly.

"Wait," said REX. "I know how to charge him up."

"How?" EVE asked.

"Gimme a sec." REX began scrolling through WALL-E's collection of trinkets, obviously looking for something specific. After a few moments, he turned back to WALL-E and EVE with a pair of jumper cables in his hand.

"This'll do nicely." REX walked up to them and brought one end of the jumper cables towards WALL-E. EVE quickly backed away with WALL-E still in her arms. She tended to be more overprotective of WALL-E when he was low on power. WALL-E certainly remembered what caused that issue.

"It's okay EVE," REX said. "I know what I'm doing."

EVE paused for a moment, then complied. She allowed REX to attach one end of the cable to WALL-E's chest, then he attached the other end to his mechanical arm. Electricity began flowing from REX's arm, through the cable, and into WALL-E's chest. WALL-E noticed that his power charge was rising; his brother was giving him energy.

After a few seconds, WALL-E felt fully charged and good as new. He propped himself from EVE's arms and handed REX his end of the cable.

"Better now?" REX asked him.

WALL-E nodded in response. His improved movement should've given REX the hint that he was better, but it seemed that his big brother wanted to make sure he was good. REX certainly looked out for him.

"Great," REX looked out the hole. "Looks like a heavy storm. You have anything to do today?"

"No." EVE answered.

EVE was right. Captain McCrea specifically told them not to work during bad weather. He said it was because he didn't want anyone to have trouble from possible injuries, which have a higher chance of occurring during bad weather. WALL-E didn't complain though, he used it as the perfect excuse to spend more time with EVE.

REX walked over by the VHS player and grabbed a large blue tarp that WALL-E had found about five days ago during some mindless exploring amongst the trash dumps. WALL-E was impressed: REX seemed to have already known the truck inside and out.

"Let's get that hole covered up." REX said. WALL-E watched as REX walked underneath the hole, the tarp folded neatly and clutched tight in his mechanical hand. As he came underneath the hole, he crouched low.

REX then jumped straight up out of the hole and onto the roof. It was amazing how high he jumped, the truck was over fifthteen feet high. Guess another one of his features was super jumps.

REX rolled out the tarp while WALL-E and EVE tossed him several heavy objects to keep it pinned down. In just a few seconds, the hole was covered. The rain no longer poured in, but made a loud tapping sound as it hit the tarp.

WALL-E opened the truck ramp so REX could come back in. He was soaking wet so WALL-E gave REX an old, worn-out towel so he could dry off. It wouldn't work very well, but it was all that WALL-E had. He made a mental note to borrow some towels from the _Axiom_ Lido Deck some time.

"Thanks WALL-E," REX said as he dried himself. "I really appreciate your hospitality."

WALL-E smiled in appreciation. REX was his brother, he would help him however he could. He cared for his blood family.

REX then turned for the ramp and began to walk back out onto the wet grounds. WALL-E watched him in confusion.

"REX?" WALL-E asked.

"I just need to get my stuff from my pod." REX replied. "I'll be back."

WALL-E watched REX as he continued on in the rain. He saw his brother run off into the distance until he disappeared behind the other broken-down WALL-E trucks.

WALL-E then closed the ramp and was about to find something to keep himself occupied, when he felt EVE grab him.

"WALL-E." She said in a seductive-like tone.

WALL-E braced for a love assault. He distinctly remembered EVE being more affectionate during one other rainy day. There was something about the rain that made EVE give him more attention than usual. Maybe it had something to do with the cool breeze; it certainly felt comfortable when WALL-E felt the cool air flow in through his arm grooves and throughout his inner workings.

He stood still as EVE nuzzled him gently with her arms wrapped around him. Rainy weather had its ups and downs, but the ups seemed to be significantly outweighing the downs.

WALL-E was actually starting to like rain now.

* * *

REX always hated rain.

He walked through the city streets on his way to where his stasis pod was. The rain continued to pour down hard with the occasional crackle of thunder. REX never liked rain because he hated getting wet. It wasn't a personal problem, but more of a security issue. The rain dampened his hair, which in turn distorted the video images on his perimeter cameras, leaving him without one of his most important security measures.

However, the reason REX was going to get his things was because one of his possessions was his bonnie hat, which helped protect his hair from the rain. Not to mention General Warren gave him the hat, so he treasured it greatly.

A few strides later, REX could see his stasis pod in the distance. He continued on when he noticed something on his motion tracker: movement behind him, REX was being followed.

REX wondered who would be following him. He didn't turn around to give the hint that he was aware, but instead he made turns around street corners to see if the being was really following him. Sure enough, they were.

REX rounded the corner of a nearby building and immediately placed his back against the wall, instinctively drawing out his combat knife and clutching it in a reverse grip as he waited for the pursuer to come.

REX kept an eye on his motion tracker. He saw the unknown being getting closer. He tightened his grip on his combat knife and prepared to ambush it.

The pursuer was getting closer.

_Closer._

_Close enough._

REX then quickly jumped out and brought his knife up to his pursuer's neck. But when he got a visual of who his follower was, he saw that the being didn't have a neck and had familiar green eyeforms from a black visor.

REX immediately pulled back. "Jeez, Neon! I could've killed you!"

Neon jumped back in surprise. Her hover systems must've deactivated temporarily, as she fell down in the mud and turned partially brown as the mud splashed on her.

REX stuck out his hand. "Need some help?"

Neon paused for a moment, then took his hand so he could lift her up.

"Thanks." Neon said.

"No problem. Sorry about jumping at you, old military habit."

"Okay."

"Why are you out here, Neon? Why aren't you with your sisters?"

Neon dropped her head in embarrassment. It seemed that she wasn't willing to give an answer.

A lightning bolt flashed nearby, followed by a loud crackle of thunder. REX's systems fluctuated with static from the shock; sharp bursts of electricity tended to overload his internal systems, especially from a pure source. He noticed that Neon flinched slightly from the flash, she didn't like it either.

"Come on," REX said. "Let's find some cover."

REX and Neon went inside a nearby abandoned building for shelter. The inside looked like an ordinary office building, but there were tons of rubble laid about. REX wondered how the earth ended up being covered in trash. It obviously happened when he was in stasis, but what caused it.

REX cleared some debris around an old couch and gestured for Neon to sit in it. She did so and then tried to wipe off the patches of mud on her outer shell with her hands. The mud ended up smearing and spreading all over Neon, making her groan in frustration.

REX took a cleaning cloth out of his pocket that he used to clean his weapons. He went to Neon and started cleaning the mud patches off of her with the cloth. Neon blushed and giggled slightly, which made REX feel strange. That giggle of hers made him feel strangely warm inside.

After a short time, Neon was back to her pristine white color. She gave REX a spark-kiss as a sign of gratitude.

"Thanks."

"No problem." REX got up and walked to the exit, not just to clean his cloth using the rain water, but also to hide his loss of focus from Neon's spark-kiss. REX felt very warm inside, and it confused him. Was this how WALL-E felt when he was around EVE? Was this what falling in love was like?

REX felt an uncomfortable churning feeling in his stomach area. He was falling in love? How strange. He never thought he would ever deal with that emotion since he wasn't created for that purpose. Then again, WALL-E and EVE weren't created for that purpose either, and look how they turned out.

REX went back to Neon and sat next to her. Neon stared at him. Those fluorescent green eyes just seemed to grab his attention. REX tried his hardest to keep himself from staring at her in a dumbstruck manner, but was failing horribly.

Then he remembered what was on his mind earlier. "I still haven't gotten an answer," he said to her. "Why are you out here?"

Neon stuttered, apparently unable to give an answer. REX was getting an idea of what she would say, but he needed to make sure he was correct.

He placed his hand on hers. "Please, an honest answer."

Neon looked at him. Her eyes were squinting, indicating she was about to cry. It made REX upset. He didn't like seeing her sad.

"For . . . you." Neon said before bursting into tears.

REX was stunned. Neon had feelings for him. What made her fall for him? What did he do that made her attracted to him?

But right now, it didn't matter. Neon's crying upset REX, so he patted her hand gently for comfort. He wasn't afraid of being soft to her. He was beginning to care for her.

"Neon, I . . . I don't know what to say. Would it make you feel better if I said I felt the same about you?"

Neon stopped her crying and looked at him questionably.

"Well, I do. I have feelings for you too, Neon."

Neon paused for a moment. She seemed to be surprised by REX's answer as her eyes grew wide, forming large perfect circles.

"Oh REX!" Neon said affectionately. She knocked REX flat on his back and came down on top of him, nuzzling her head against his.

REX closed his eyes, letting Neon do whatever she pleased to him. Seven years of hard battlefield experience never prepared him for this, but it felt good, it felt right. Now he was beginning to understand why WALL-E and EVE were so happy together. Love was something to be treasured greatly.

He put his arms around Neon, holding her close. He liked how it felt when she touched him. It was a whole new kind of sensation he had never experienced before.

After a few minutes, Neon got off of him. REX felt an urgent craving. He wanted more of her affection, it just felt so pleasant.

But he kept that craving suppressed; he couldn't become dependent on it. General Warren always told him to never get too dependent on something, or it could be used against him. Neon would give him affection when she wanted to.

REX then remembered that he still had to get his things. He got up and went over to the exit to prepare to set off. When he turned back to Neon, she was floating in front of him and watching him curiously.

"REX?" She asked.

"I have to get some things, wanna come?"

Neon nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, let's go."

The two then went out of the building to make their way to REX's pod. REX felt Neon take his hand in hers. He returned the grip and held it as they continued moving. He remembered WALL-E and EVE always holding hands. He didn't know what that meant, but it made Neon happy, so he did it anyways.

The rain continued to pour hard. REX sighed in irritation as he got soaking wet again. He really needed his bonnie hat.

He turned to Neon to see how she was handling the rain. He saw water collecting in the bowl-shaped area her head hovered over. REX assumed that had to feel uncomfortable, it looked so to him.

But Neon didn't seem to notice it. Either she couldn't feel it or she was doing a good job of ignoring it. He wished he could do the same.

A few strides later, they got to REX's stasis pod. REX pulled out the datapad on the side, punched in his serial number, then placed the pad back into the slot.

After a few seconds, a side compartment on the pod opened up. Inside it were REX's possessions: a grey-colored bonnie hat and his dog tags.

REX grabbed his bonnie hat and put it on his head. The bonnie hat was actually very advanced as it was capable of changing camouflage patterns. He set the pattern to a blue and white color, a camouflage pattern commonly used by Special Forces in arctic conditions. It was mostly out of taste, REX liked the color.

Then REX grabbed his dog tags. He looked at them before he put them around his neck. On one side it read: "Subject Alpha, Serial no. 6609-5512." On the other side, scratched on crudely, read his nickname: "REX."

REX continued on with putting on his dog tags, then was about to shut the compartment when he noticed something: a small, circle-shaped object with a black coating and two small buttons. A tracking beacon.

REX wondered what was a tracking beacon doing in his pod. Someone must've put it there sometime after he went into stasis. He pocketed the beacon, making a mental note to deal with it later.

REX then stood up, relishing in the protection his hat was giving him, and turned to Neon. He noticed that the rain still poured on her, so he decided to change that. He looked around on the ground and found a square-shaped metallic sheet about four feet in diameter and a three foot long steel rod. He bent the sides of the sheet inward using his enhanced strength, stuck the rod in the center of the sheet, and welded it in place using his integrated cutting torch. He had created a makeshift umbrella.

REX turned back to Neon and handed her the umbrella. It shielded her perfectly from the pouring rain.

"Thanks." Neon said. She smiled and gave REX another spark-kiss, which made him stumble. He had taken on heavily armed warlords, thirty foot tall battle machines, and thousands of foot soldiers without much trouble in his past life, yet a simple sign of affection from his new girlfriend took him down like it was nothing.

"Well," REX then said. "Gotta head back to WALL-E's truck, since I live there now."

Neon's eyes dropped in sadness. Of course she wanted to be with him some more. That must've been how EVE always felt about WALL-E.

REX took her hand. "Wanna come with? I'm sure we can talk EVE into letting you hang out."

Neon went back into a smile. "Yes!" She chirped in excitement.

REX smiled and they proceeded to head back to the truck. REX felt a whole lot better than normal. Yesterday, he found a brother, one with a caring heart; and now, he got a girlfriend. He was liking his new life more and more now.

If only General Warren could see him now.

* * *

 _Rain._ It always made EVE so relaxed because of the rhythmic patting sound it made. All she ever wanted to do was be with WALL-E as it poured.

She gently stroked WALL-E's optics as he laid next to her. She had spent the last hour doing nothing but give WALL-E love in spark-kissing and nuzzling. Giving him affection was something she enjoyed doing more than anything else.

WALL-E sighed happily. He had one hand intertwined with hers and the other around her waist. WALL-E's hands were dirty and rusty, but they always felt so soothing when he touched her with them.

"E-vah." WALL-E cooed to her.

EVE loved it when WALL-E called her name. She didn't care that he couldn't pronounce her name right, she still loved it. It always made her senses tingle with happiness when he said her name.

EVE suddenly felt like watching _Hello Dolly_ again. It was so peaceful that it seemed like the right opportunity.

She looked at WALL-E, who was completely relaxed. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be humming _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ to himself. He was very happy.

"WALL-E?" EVE asked him.

WALL-E opened his eyes and turned to her. He always responded whenever she called his name. She liked that.

EVE pointed to the VHS player to give WALL-E the hint. He caught it quickly. WALL-E lifted himself up, taking her hand to help her up even though he really didn't need to, and then he went to the VHS to get the movie set up.

Before WALL-E could hit the play button, they heard a knocking on the entry ramp. EVE assumed that had to be REX, back from whatever he was doing.

WALL-E must've thought so too. He quickly dashed to the ramp lever and pulled it to lower the ramp, obviously eager to see his brother again. Already it seemed that WALL-E and REX had gotten close because of their newfound brotherhood.

When the ramp lowered completely, EVE was puzzled: one, because of the hat REX was wearing; second, because her sister Neon was with him; and last, because they were holding hands.

EVE felt a mixture of confusion and happiness. She did want her sisters to find partners to experience the same joy she has with WALL-E. But Neon sealing it off with REX? She did not see that coming.

"Hey," REX said. "Can Neon hang out with us for a while?"

EVE couldn't answer. She was still processing the thought of REX and Neon in love. Also, she was still slightly angry at REX for that hormone joke he said yesterday.

Then, EVE felt WALL-E take her hand. She turned to him and saw him smiling in that usual caring way. She knew what he was trying to say: _let her stay._

EVE smiled in agreement and turned back to REX and Neon. She nodded her head to say she was okay with it. Neon gave her a hug in gratitude before going back to REX.

REX and Neon started to settle down while WALL-E proceeded with playing _Hello Dolly._ EVE saw Neon cuddling in REX's arms to give him affection. It looked strange from her perspective. She was always used to picking up WALL-E in a hug to give him affection since he was smaller than her. It looked completely different to see Neon in REX's hold since he was bigger than her.

Then again, EVE had her boyfriend, and Neon had hers. They would give love to them in their own unique ways.

When WALL-E got the movie started, EVE wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his. She gently nuzzled him as the movie played. WALL-E made a warbling sound to show he was happy. WALL-E's reactions to her displays of affection were always so entertaining. EVE loved how he reacted to her affection.

Throughout _Put on Your Sunday Clothes,_ EVE took notice that REX was strangely silent, but she could hear Neon making cooing noises. She turned her head slightly to see her sister lying in REX's lap with her head tucked under his chin, stroking his hair with her fingers. REX had his eyes halfway closed and was smiling.

EVE giggled slightly to herself. That was how she and WALL-E were the day after their big adventure. They spent so much time showing love to each other that day, EVE couldn't remember if they ever left the truck. That was when their relationship truly began.

EVE was also slightly jealous of how quickly and easily REX and Neon had fallen in love. She wished the same had happened to her and WALL-E. Her original directive was the reason she didn't fall in love with WALL-E sooner.

EVE just had to be so attuned to that stupid directive of hers when she first met WALL-E. She failed to see how much she meant to him. WALL-E had to go through several hardships in order to make her realize that: he put himself on the line as he took care of her in stasis, he nearly got blown up in an escape pod, he was violently shocked by Auto, and then he was crushed under the Holo-detector. WALL-E didn't deserve any of that. She should've been his from the beginning. If EVE wasn't so attached to her directive at the time, she would've fallen in love with WALL-E from the start. She took a liking to him when they met, but she didn't realize what he really meant.

Sometimes, EVE just wished that she had fallen in love with WALL-E first. Things would've been a lot easier then.

But that didn't matter anymore. She had WALL-E, she lived with him, and she would never stop giving him love. WALL-E was everything to her.

As _It Only Takes a Moment_ began to play, EVE felt a surge of emotional spikes and she gripped WALL-E tight in a hug. That song became the start of her coming to love him.

WALL-E sighed happily and held EVE by the waist. She vibrated in warmth as those rusted hands of his touched her. It just felt so pleasant to her.

EVE then made a quick turn to look at REX and Neon to see how they were doing. What she saw made her giggle slightly in amusement:

REX and Neon were fast asleep. REX was slumped over on the ground and Neon was lying on top of him. It looked so funny to EVE.

She beckoned to WALL-E to look at them. He made a jittering sound at the sight of what they were doing. He was amused too.

"Family." WALL-E said happily.

"Family." EVE repeated. She knew what he meant. REX and Neon were their brother and sister. They were family.

EVE thought it was kind of strange: a kind-hearted trash compactor, two good-natured evaluator probes, and a battle hardened war machine were all family. Everyone was so different from the other, but those differences brought them together.

She took WALL-E's hands in hers and stared at him, looking into his cute, binocular-shaped optics. WALL-E stared back in that loving way he always did. EVE never got tired of the way he stared at her; it told her that she meant everything to him.

EVE then leaned her head forward in WALL-E's direction. WALL-E did likewise until their heads touched. She relished in that warm felling she always got when she was around WALL-E. It was a feeling that nothing else could ever overpower.

EVE felt an overwhelming urge of happiness. She had WALL-E, her true love; REX, WALL-E's new brother and dedicated protector; and now Neon, her sister that made REX happy. This was truly a great day.

EVE and WALL-E continued to gently nuzzle each other until they heard what sounded like a Steward's siren outside the truck.

REX and Neon came out of their slumber from the siren. They both got up and stared at the door.

"I think I know what's going on." REX muttered.

"What?" EVE asked him.

REX didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to the ramp lever and pulled it to lower the ramp. A Steward appeared as it lowered completely, brandishing a live video feed of Captain McCrea on its center screen. McCrea was in the pilot's room of the _Axiom._ EVE could see a lifeless Auto in the background.

"Is now a good time?" McCrea asked.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." REX replied.

McCrea nodded in acknowledgement, then the screen went black and the Steward turned around and left. Now EVE figured out what REX was talking about: he and McCrea said yesterday they were going to reactivate Auto because they needed his help.

EVE hated Auto with a passion. He was responsible for nearly taking WALL-E away from her forever, and he didn't even care. He deserved to be shutdown. Auto was cold.

REX picked up his hat, which had fallen off when he fell asleep, and put it back on. He adjusted the chin strap to keep it tight and snug.

REX then turned to WALL-E, EVE and Neon with a slight frown on his face. Neon came up to him in concern.

"REX?" She asked.

"Stay here."

"But-"

"Stay . . . here." REX gave Neon a hug to give her reassurance. She responded by grabbing his head with both hands and giving him a spark-kiss.

REX then turned around and walked out into the rain. WALL-E began to follow him, but REX stopped him.

"That means you too, WALL-E."

"REX?" WALL-E asked in concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

REX started moving again. EVE watched him until he disappeared in the distance. She was about to play with some of WALL-E's trinkets to keep herself occupied, when she noticed WALL-E heading out in the direction REX went.

EVE quickly dashed in front of WALL-E. "WALL-E," she said, partially frightened. "No."

"E-vah," WALL-E said softly. "REX . . . family."

"No."

"Help . . . REX."

EVE begged WALL-E not to go. She couldn't risk Auto shocking him again. She couldn't relive the pain she had gone through before.

But WALL-E seemed intent on going after his brother. This was the first time her influence had failed to take him.

EVE turned to Neon for help, but her sister got behind WALL-E and looked at her with a serious expression. She was taking WALL-E's side.

EVE sighed in defeat. Her love and her sister were intent on going after REX. She had no control over them.

So EVE took WALL-E's hand in hers and pointed to herself with her other hand. "Coming." She said. If her love and her sister were going after REX, then so would she.

WALL-E nodded to EVE in gratitude while Neon hugged her to show her thanks.

The three then set off for the _Axiom._ The rain still poured hard, so WALL-E grabbed an umbrella to shield EVE from the rain. She thanked him with a spark-kiss. EVE loved WALL-E's caring nature, which was what touched her heart and brought her to love him.

EVE turned to Neon to see how she was going to deal with the rain. She saw her carrying a strange object that looked like an umbrella, but not quite. She beeped questionably to Neon to ask her about the umbrella.

"REX." Neon said. She twirled the umbrella and smiled. EVE felt touched. REX certainly cared for Neon as much as WALL-E cared for her if he made that for her. She was happy that Neon had found a good man.

They continued on until they could see the _Axiom_ in the distance. EVE used the zooming feature in her vision and saw REX going in through one of the entry hatches.

EVE then took the umbrella out of WALL-E's hand and set it down on the ground. She picked up WALL-E and flew to the entry hatch with Neon following behind.

They got to the entry hatch after a few seconds and EVE hit the activation switch on the side to open it. They went inside and found several humans and robots wandering about. Of course because of the rain, no one had anything to do. Unsurprisingly, none of the humans were sitting in hover chairs.

The three robots made their way to the elevator that lead up to the pilot's room just in time to see the doors close with REX inside it. EVE's nerves spiked because she could've sworn that REX was looking right at them before the doors closed.

WALL-E, EVE, and Neon went to the elevator and called it down. EVE felt uneasy. They were about to be in the presence of their one and only enemy.

Neon glided next to her and put her hand on her arm to get her attention.

"Ready?" Neon asked, flexing her right arm.

EVE caught on: they both had ion cannons integrated into their arms, WALL-E had a cutting laser, and all that Auto had was a tazer. With or without REX, Auto wouldn't stand a chance.

"Ready." EVE finally said. She was calm now because she was prepared.

The elevator came back down. But as it opened, EVE yelped in surprise. REX was standing in the elevator, and he didn't look happy.

"I thought I told you to stay in the truck." REX didn't yell at them, but he sounded disappointed. To EVE, that sounded just as bad. It made the three robots drop their heads in shame. Already they regretted their decision.

But then REX's tone lightened. It seemed that he couldn't stay mad at them. "All I have to say is . . . why? Why did you have to disobey my orders? It's not safe."

WALL-E rolled forward. He motioned to himself to say that it was his idea.

REX looked down at him. He frowned to show that he was disappointed. "WALL-E? Why? You know that Auto is dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

WALL-E looked up at him. He pointed to REX with a firm hand. "REX . . . brother."

REX paused for a moment, then closed his eyes and pinched the end of his nose. "Right, we're brothers. But I don't want you to be in danger, and why did you bring EVE and Neon into this?"

EVE moved up to defend WALL-E. She was involved in this, so she was going to share the blame.

She pointed to REX, then to WALL-E, then Neon, and finally to herself. "Family."

REX paused again, trying to catch on what she was saying, then let out a sigh of realization. "We're a family now. Why didn't I see that?" He looked at them and smiled. "We stay together. Okay, I get it now."

EVE felt slightly better from that positive sign of his. Now she saw REX's true behavior: he cared deeply for them. He couldn't even get mad enough to yell at them when they did something wrong.

"I'm sorry for getting mad at you." He said to them. "I just want to protect the three of you."

Neon immediately accepted REX's apology with a spark-kiss and a hug. WALL-E followed suit with a hug, and EVE finished with a hug as well.

REX returned the group hug. Strangely enough, his arms were long enough to hold all three of them.

"Thanks," he said. "Thanks for helping me realize."

WALL-E made a slight buzz, which was his way of saying "you're welcome." He certainly cared for his brother.

When the hug was broken, REX turned back to the elevator and beckoned to the three to follow.

"Let's go. If we're going to deal with Auto, we'll deal with him together."

WALL-E, EVE, and Neon followed REX into the elevator. REX pushed the button for the pilot's room and the elevator doors closed, followed by the elevator lifting up.

EVE was getting uneasy as the elevator rose, mainly because she saw REX consistently sheathing and unsheathing his combat knife. It seemed that he was on edge.

Then again, REX was military. He was trained to be cautious.

But EVE still grabbed WALL-E in a tight hug to relax herself. There was still a risk of him being in danger when Auto came back.

A few seconds later, the elevator arrived at the pilot's room and the doors opened. Captain McCrea stood by a motionless Auto.

"Why are they here?" McCrea said in surprise. "It's dangerous."

"They're my family, Captain." REX replied. "They with me all the way."

McCrea's eyes widened in surprise, then he let out a sigh. "Allright, they can stay."

"Thank you."

McCrea then turned to Auto and opened the hatch that contained his manual/auto switch. REX quickly motioned to WALL-E, EVE, and Neon to move to the farthest wall. EVE saw his combat knife out and clutched tight in his hand.

"EVE, Neon," REX said, his voice was straight-mannered and commanding. He was serious now. "Guns at the ready."

EVE obeyed and drew out her ion cannon. Neon did likewise.

 _This was it!_ EVE thought. It was time for the resurrection of Auto. EVE brought her cannon up and steadied it on the autopilot.

McCrea pressed the auto button on the switch and quickly stepped back. There was an audible humming, then Auto's center eye began to light up. EVE heard the autopilot making a distinct moan, like he was saying "No."

In that instance, EVE felt rage. She charged her cannon and prepared to fire. The memory of Auto nearly killing WALL-E burned into her head and it made her boil with anger.

But REX gave her a slight glare. He waved her off and brandished his knife. He was going to handle it.

EVE obeyed. She took WALL-E's hand in her free one so he would be where she could get to him, but kept her cannon trained on Auto.

Auto then sprung to life and looked around.

"Auto," McCrea said. "It's been a while."

"Captain?" Auto said in confusion. The lack of emotion he spoke with made EVE cringe in anger. He only cared about his directive, and he hurt WALL-E because of it. EVE didn't just hate Auto for nearly killing WALL-E, she hated him because he did it without a care.

Auto looked at WALL-E, EVE, and Neon and froze for a few seconds. Then he made a beeping sound and drew out his tazer.

"Auto!" McCrea shouted. "No!"

"I must follow my directive." Auto said as he began to approach WALL-E.

That was the last barrier. EVE charged her cannon and prepared to fire. She wasn't letting Auto come _near_ WALL-E.

But then, EVE found herself unable to move. She craned her head around and saw GO-4 holding her in a tractor beam. EVE gasped in shock. _How is GO-4 still alive?_ She disposed of the security bot's remains herself.

Neon turned and tried to fire at GO-4, but then she was trapped in a tractor beam emitting from another GO-4.

"E-vah!" WALL-E shouted. EVE turned to see WALL-E caught in a tractor beam by a third GO-4. There was more than one GO-4 unit on the _Axiom,_ as EVE had just found out.

"WALL-E!" EVE screamed in terror. It was going to happen again. WALL-E was going to be shocked again.

"No!" Neon shouted. She struggled as hard as she could, but couldn't break out of the tractor beam.

Auto continued moving almost tauntingly slow towards WALL-E with his tazer charged and sparking. EVE struggled, but couldn't move. As her deepest fear consumed her, the only thing she could do next was scream as loud as she could.

"NOOOO!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Suddenly, REX dashed into EVE's view towards Auto and punched him hard in the center eye with his mechanical hand. Auto reeled back from the impact and slammed into a wall, the glass covering on his eye shattered and fell on the floor in pieces.

REX then quickly turned and threw his knife with unimaginable precision at the GO-4 unit holding Neon while simultaneously drawing out his pistol and firing several rounds at the one holding EVE. His pistol made loud and sharp _fump-fump-fumps_ with each shot fired. Both GO-4 units dropped from the attacks, one with the knife impaled into it and the other with several holes in its body. Their tractor beams faded, releasing EVE and Neon.

The third GO-4 dropped its tractor beam on WALL-E and went for REX. It fired a beam at REX, but he dodged it with a quick sidestep and strided up to the bot in three fast steps and crushed the unit under his foot.

EVE quickly snatched WALL-E, wrapping one arm around him in a protective manner. Neon took her flank in a defensive stance.

Auto then recovered from REX's attack and brought out his tazer again.

"Auto!" McCrea yelled at him. "Stop! That's an order!"

But Auto didn't listen to him. He charged towards REX with his tazer up in an attempt to shock him. The tazer hit him in the chest, but REX didn't react from the violent shock. Instead, he pried the tazer off and head butted Auto, knocking him back. REX wasn't lying at all about his abilities, Auto couldn't even hurt him.

"Autopilot!" REX barked. "Stand down!"

Auto still didn't comply. He tried to attack REX again, but this time REX caught his tazer arm and tore it off, then he brought his leg up in a powerful forward kick to knock Auto back once again.

"Alpha protocol 665!" REX shouted. "Stand down NOW!"

Auto suddenly froze in place. EVE wasn't sure what just happened, but kept her gun trained on Auto just to be safe.

REX walked up to Auto. His eyes had changed from a neon green to a blood red color and his eyebrows were creased low, the telltale sign that he was enraged.

He stopped in front of him, tossing Auto's severed tazer arm to the side, and glared at him. REX definitely kept his promise of protecting WALL-E. Auto nearly attacking WALL-E seemed to throw him off the edge.

"My name is Subject Alpha, otherwise known as REX," REX growled. "But you will address me as either Lieutenant or Sir. Is that perfectly understood?"

Auto said nothing.

"I SAID IS THAT PERFECTLY UNDERSTOOD?"

There was a pause. "Yes, Lieutenant."

"Good!" REX then turned to McCrea. "Now you can handle him."

REX then went up to WALL-E, EVE, and Neon. When he spoke to them, his voice instantly lightened. It was like he wasn't angry before.

"Everyone okay?"

WALL-E and EVE nodded simultaneously. Neon went up to REX and hugged him.

REX returned the hug. "Thanks, I needed that."

REX then turned back to Auto, his expression quickly changed back to enraged.

"Auto," McCrea said. "Directive A113 is no longer effective! The plant was living proof Forthright was wrong! You should know that!"

"I cannot disobey my directive," Auto responded. "The _Axiom_ must remain in space if we are to survive."

"Autopilot!" REX barked. "Front and center!"

Auto immediately hung at attention, staring at REX as if expecting an order. He certainly should be. Even EVE was terrified of this enraged REX, even if the anger wasn't focused on her. He was violent when he was angry.

"I've read about A113-" REX said. "-but give me a refresher."

"Directive A113 was issued in 2110 by order of Buy n' Large CEO Shelby Forthright. The directive states that all BnL starliners must be in full autopilot and never to return to earth."

"And why is that?"

"On account of rising toxicity levels in the earth's atmosphere, making life on the planet unsustainable."

REX didn't say anything afterwards. Instead, he went over to the _Axiom_ computer. EVE wondered what he was getting at.

"Computer," he said. "What are the atmospheric conditions of the outside as of right now?"

"Analyzing," the computer responded. "Please wait."

Auto's center eye flashed a bright red. That must've meant he was shocked.

"What?"

"Yes Auto," McCrea said. "We're back on earth."

"But I-"

"Analysis complete," the computer interrupted. "Atmospheric conditions are 100% pure with minor traces of dust. Sustainable for human life."

REX turned back to Auto, his blood red eyes changed back to neon green. "Directive A113 is false. Confirm."

The tone of REX's voice meant he was ordering Auto to confirm that the directive was false. REX wasn't treating Auto with any mercy, he was treating him like he was dirt.

Auto didn't respond.

"I said _confirm!_ " REX barked.

A few seconds went by. "Yes Lieutenant," Auto finally said. "Directive A113 is false."

"Very good."

EVE felt slightly relieved. Directive A113 was the reason why Auto nearly killed WALL-E. If his directive was removed, he would probably leave WALL-E alone.

She turned to WALL-E, who was completely boxed up and shaking in fear. EVE hated it when WALL-E got scared. It reminded her too much of when he got badly injured. The way he was shaking made her cringe in discomfort.

She immediately hugged WALL-E to calm him down. Neon assisted EVE by patting him on the back. EVE was happy that her sisters liked WALL-E, she was appreciative of how they treated him with such kindness.

A few seconds later, WALL-E unboxed himself and gave EVE a light smile to show he was better. Just to make sure, she gave him a spark-kiss to further relieve the tension. It made WALL-E buzz happily, which relaxed EVE even more. WALL-E was better now.

EVE then tuned back in to the REX and Auto standoff. Now she needed to know how REX was handling the autopilot.

"Auto," McCrea said. "WALL-E and EVE brought us back to earth to help us survive. They're not rogues."

"You're right, Captain."

"I am?"

"Yes, I once thought of the Waste Allocator and Probe One as defective only because they went against my directive. But they had the facts and I was too stubborn to see that. Epsilon was right, sometimes directives shouldn't always be followed."

"Epsilon?" REX asked.

"Epsilon is the autopilot of the _Atlas,_ a BnL starliner responsible for carrying the necessary building materials to establish a colony in case an event like this happened."

"That's what we need you for," McCrea said. "We need you to contact the other starliners still in space. We need to bring them home."

"Yes Captain. I will work on that. But first there is something I must do."

Auto then turned to WALL-E and EVE and moved towards them. EVE readied her cannon, she still wasn't trusting of Auto around WALL-E. REX must've felt the same, because he stood behind Auto with his pistol centered on him.

Auto then stopped in front of the two. "I am sorry, WALL-E and EVE. I apologize for the trouble I caused you. I was a fool to continue to follow my directive and I nearly took the life of one of you. I wish to make things right in the future. I do not want to be your enemy."

EVE was stunned. Auto had just apologized to her and WALL-E and wanted to make up for the trouble he caused in the past. She felt instant remorse for Auto.

WALL-E rolled up to Auto and extended his hand for a friendly handshake. Auto took it in one of his spokes and they shook firmly. EVE took notice of REX lowering his pistol, he was calm now.

"Thank you, WALL-E." Auto said.

WALL-E nodded in response. EVE felt so proud of WALL-E for his sudden act of kindness. He was capable of so many things she wasn't.

When Auto turned back, REX came up to him and handed him his severed tazer arm. "Get yourself looked at."

"Yes sir."

REX then ushered WALL-E, EVE, and Neon to the elevator so they could leave. Neon obviously didn't want to leave REX because she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.

"REX, go with them." McCrea said to him. "Auto and I have some catching up to do."

"Allright."

The four robots went int the elevator and REX pushed the button for the Lido Deck. Everyone was quiet, there wasn't anything to discuss.

EVE felt a mixture of peace and turmoil. While Auto was dealt with and he was no longer a threat to WALL-E, she just saw REX's true anger up close. He nearly tore Auto to pieces and he said he wasn't even at full strength.

To be truthful, REX scared EVE.

* * *

Things did not turn out as REX expected.

He was on the breaking point of nearly punching a hole in Auto's center mass when he tried to attack WALL-E. But before he could do it, he heard General Warren in his mind telling him to stand down. He didn't know why the General would do that, but he obeyed Warren to the letter. He never disobeyed Warren's orders: if he told him to charge suicidal into a minefield, he would do it. REX was _that_ loyal to General Warren.

But right after that stand down order, REX remembered the Alpha Protocol: an override command that told any robot to cease current actions and obey whoever gave the order. REX didn't have authorization to use that command, but Auto didn't know that. That certainly changed Auto.

So now it resulted with Auto apologizing to WALL-E and EVE for his trouble, making him see the error of his ways. Now REX understood why Warren told him to stand down, there was another option. Auto didn't need to be killed. Even after plenty of combat experience, REX was still thinking rashly.

"REX?"

WALL-E's concerned voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at his brother, who was watching him in concern along with EVE and Neon.

REX already got the picture. They were nervous because they saw just how enraged he could get. REX felt ashamed now. He still hadn't told them what caused his rage.

But now was a good time as any. "I'm sorry for that act of anger. But remember, when I get angry, it's only used against those who mean harm to any of you. I will never _ever_ use my rage on the three of you. You're my family. I love you all."

Neon's eyes widened in surprise, then she charged towards REX and gave him a hug.

"REX," she said softly. "Love . . . you . . . too."

Even though he and Neon were a couple, REX still felt something when she said that. He felt something warm, something deep.

WALL-E and EVE then came over and joined in on the hug.

"Love . . . you." WALL-E said.

"We love you." EVE said perfectly.

It was a different kind of love. It was the love of a family. REX had only experienced that kind of love once before, from General Warren.

 _I love you like the son I never had, REX. You make me proud._ That was what Warren said to him six months after they first met, when they bonded together. REX hadn't felt such love like this in a long time. It was the kind of love he needed in his life, and was never expected to have.

Then it came out, out of REX's control. He dropped to his knees and started crying. It was so overwhelming that it just came out.

"No!" Neon voiced in concern. "Don't cry!"

But REX wasn't in control right now. He kept crying. Tears ran down his face as he bawled. He didn't know how he could produce tears, but he did.

WALL-E and EVE helped Neon with the comfort to help him stop crying, patting his back gently. After a few seconds, it began to work. REX's crying slowly died down and he smiled to them.

"Thanks," he said. "I love you too."

Everyone smiled, which in turn made him happy. REX felt much better now to have others that cared for him. General Warren was the only person that cared for him in his past life; now WALL-E, EVE, and Neon cared for him in his new life.

The elevator doors opened and the robot family stepped out. Now it was time to find something else to do.

They got waylaid by EVE's remaining sister probes and the rogue robots, who all came to say hi. WALL-E gave his greetings to the rogues while EVE and Neon greeted their sisters.

REX took advantage of the gathering to tinker with the tracking beacon he found earlier. He pressed one of the buttons and the beacon suddenly started beeping. Then a signal popped into REX's HUD. A location, about five miles west of their position, appeared as a yellow square in the distance.

REX wondered what that location had to do with the beacon. It needed some investigation.

"REX?" WALL-E asked.

REX looked up and saw everyone looking at him. Specifically, they were beaming at the beacon in his hand. They were taking interest in it.

REX then got an idea. One that could be fun for everyone.

He held up the beacon. "This little toy-" he said to everyone."-just gave me an unknown location on my radar. Anyone up for a little adventure?"

The group cheered in approval. WALL-E clapped his hands enthusiastically, M-O bounced up and down, EVE and her sisters giggled with excitement, and the rogues started making random sounds from their vocabulators.

What REX took notice of was that everyone always seemed to be asking him what to do next. He didn't ask to be a leader, but they already chose him to be it. Now he was just going to have to deal with it.

"I'll lead," he said. "Everyone else, on my six."

And so, they set off. REX lead the way, WALL-E and EVE followed close behind, the sisters behind them, and the rogues bringing up the rear.

Neon moved up to REX's side and took his hand in hers before they got to the exit hatch. She smiled at REX and leaned her head into his in a soft display of affection. REX felt warmed by her touch. He really liked how it felt when Neon was near. Now he was beginning to see what WALL-E and EVE meant to each other.

They exited the _Axiom_ and went outside. The rain had stopped, but the ground was still very damp. There were wet patches of mud everywhere.

They traversed through the mud-covered grounds into the city. REX had mud splashed on his pants, making him groan slightly. The hardcore military training from General Warren taught him to deal with these sorts of things, but it didn't teach him to ignore it completely.

They continued on to the unknown location until the marker ended at an abandoned building that read "Eagle Industries" in large black letters.

Then, realization took REX. He recognized the building's layout. It was the place where he was born. It was Blackwing HQ.

Partial excitement overtook him as he walked inside. He couldn't believe he had found the place where he was created. His original home.

REX turned back and saw the others still outside, apparently unsure of whether to go in or not.

"Come on!" REX said cheerfully. "This is my old home."

WALL-E and Neon quickly dashed in. WALL-E had EVE's hand in his and was practically pulling her in. The remaining robots followed afterwards.

The interior looked like a ruined office building. There was garbage of different sorts laid about, a clerk desk at the back wall between two doors, and chairs overturned and worn out. The walls were mostly brown with dirt, hiding logos of large black-colored eagles that represented the building.

But REX knew the place all too well. He went over the eagle logo on the eastern side of the room, cleared away some of the dirt with the help of VAQ-M, and pushed a secret panel on the right talon of the eagle to reveal a small console with a voice box and the Blackwing logo brandished on an electronic screen.

"Authorization required." An electronic female voice asked.

"Subject Alpha, 6609-5512." REX replied.

"Alpha! It has been a long time. How have you been?"

"Not too bad. Thank you for asking, Elise."

Elise was the AI program that oversaw all Blackwing operations withing its doors. She wasn't sentient, but instead programmed to be friendly to make employees feel more comfortable. Elise was really the only friend REX had before he met General Warren. Because of that, she addressed him by his original name: Subject Alpha.

The others came up behind REX and watched curiously. A small camera erupted from the eagle's eye and looked at them.

"Who are your friends?" Elise asked.

REX began to introduce the group to Elise. They gave a nervous wave to the camera as REX introduced each one. It seemed they weren't comfortable with the way Elise was watching them.

"Quite a diverse group of friends you have, Alpha." Elise said after REX finished the introductions. "They are very strange."

"You have no idea Elise." REX replied. "May we come in?"

"Yes, of course."

The entire wall suddenly opened to reveal a large transparent glass elevator with several Blackwing logos on the walls. The elevator was operated directly by Elise, so it had no control system. REX wasn't surprised that there was still power. Blackwing tech was built to last, it was extremely advanced.

Everyone stepped into the elevator. WALL-E and EVE held each other nervously and Neon gripped REX tight in a hug. It seemed that they were uncomfortable in this new setting. That would be settled once REX showed them around.

The elevator quickly dropped down. Blackwing HQ was actually an enormous underground base, giving its workers the perfect isolation to do their jobs. It also served as the perfect covert position: right under the public's nose.

A few seconds went by, then the elevator stopped at its destination. The doors opened up to reveal a gigantic room. The Blackwing HQ main lobby.

The main lobby was mostly dark colored on the walls with glowing colored lines running along them. Holographic screens lined up most of the ground displaying scores of data, mobile platforms zoomed around on hover systems to provide quick transportation, and giant tunnels lurched off into darkness, leading into new areas of the headquarters.

Everyone except REX gazed at everything in amazement. They had obviously never seen anything like this before. Thankfully, REX could give them a tour.

"This is the main lobby of Blackwing HQ," he said to them. "And one of many. There are several other divisions beyond this that handle separate projects and issues. The entire HQ is actually bigger than the city above. It would take days just to explore all of it."

The robot group awed in amazement. REX had to owe one to the Blackwing spooks. They knew how to impress.

"Elise," REX then said. "Set up the teleportation grid. Destination: Alpha maintenance room."

"Yes Alpha."

A large hexagonal pad on the ground began to flash. Teleportation had actually become a reality thanks to Blackwing. It was used for quick transportation to different divisions when employees were too impatient to use the mobile platforms, and to prevent newly hired help from getting lost.

REX gestured for everyone to step on the pad. They did so and he followed suit.

Then, a bright flash engulfed them. REX couldn't see anything as he felt himself being lifted and pulled gently through the air, which was how teleportation worked. They were being pulled through a wormhole to travel to another teleportation pad at an unbelievable speed.

When the flash cleared, they found themselves in a different room. Much smaller than the lobby with several doors that branched off into different areas and large electric generator standing at the back. A nearby sign read "Alpha maintenance."

This division of Blackwing was created specifically for REX. The staff who used to work here were tasked with monitoring REX's condition, making any needed repairs, and providing upgrades. REX's advanced design didn't require him to be checked for faults, so he rarely came here in his past life.

WALL-E tugged on REX's pant leg to get his attention. When he looked at him, he started pointing into the distant areas.

"Exploring?" EVE asked curiously.

"Sure." REX answered. So long as Elise was watching, none of the robots could get into trouble. Elise was very good at being a watcher. "All of you, do some exploring."

Everyone took off, some disappearing behind doors, others examining the generator in the back. REX found it entertaining how curious everyone got. They acted like little kids in a new museum.

"Excuse me, Alpha," Elise cut in. "But I took notice in your internal readings that most of your systems are in lockdown. Would you like me to unlock them?"

REX was surprised. "You can do that?"

"Yes. Just simply head for the generator at the end of the room. It will provide a jumpstart shock that will reactivate your abilities."

"Allright. Let's do it."

"Please proceed to the generator."

REX made his way to the generator at the back of the room. He had no idea that there was a jumpstart station made here. Then again, he never really needed one until now.

REX got up to the generator, which stood about twenty feet high and fifthteen feet in diameter. A chamber opened up on the front with several shock probes lining the inside.

"Please step in." Elise said.

REX did so and when he turned around, he saw WALL-E, EVE, and Neon watching him curiously.

"REX?" WALL-E asked.

REX gave him a smile for reassurance. WALL-E must've thought the machine would hurt him.

"Now you'll be able to see what I can really do." He said to them.

They lightened up in surprise. Now it was obvious they were excited to see REX's true abilities.

The chamber closed with REX inside. Several of the shock probes began to light up. Then Elise's voice chimed in. "Commencing jumpstart in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1."

The shock probes then delivered a high-voltage jolt right into REX. The shock was so powerful that it actually hurt. REX was actually yelling in pain.

"REX!" Neon shouted. REX could hear her pounding the chamber door on the other side.

"It's alright, Neon." REX said to her. "I'm fine."

After a few seconds, the power stopped. The chamber opened and REX stepped out to be immediately tacked by Neon. She knocked him to the ground and immediately started looking over him, checking for injuries.

"Neon, Neon!" REX said, trying to calm her down. "I'm okay. It wasn't supposed to hurt me."

Neon still looked worried. She grabbed his head and started stroking his hair affectionately in what seemed like an attempt to calm herself down. REX could hear WALL-E and EVE making "awws" of adoration. They seemed happy to see their brother and sister having a romantic moment just like they do.

REX gently put his mechanical hand on the side of Neon's head and caressed it gently. Neon slowly went into a smile, she was feeling better.

She gave him a tender spark-kiss before getting off. WALL-E and EVE laughed slightly before REX got up and shot them an annoyed glare.

REX then checked his systems. Everything read out just how he wanted it to be. His self-healing nanobots read out as 100% online. His primary weapons systems were fully functioning as well as other features that were still in lockdown. His combat efficiency was maxed out.

REX turned to his family and smiled at them. Now that he was at full capacity, he could do a much better job of protecting them. He felt a great sense of relief.

Now it was time for a warm-up. "Elise," he said. "Ready the teleporter. Let's head to the training simulator."

"Right away, Alpha."

REX then beckoned to WALL-E, EVE, and Neon. "Get the others. Time for a little demonstration."

They nodded in acknowledgement. EVE and Neon rounded up their sisters while WALL-E simply played _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ to attract the rogues. It didn't even take long to round everyone up.

Soon, everyone was on the teleporter and they were warped to the simulation training area. The simulator room just a large box room with nothing but grey walls and a nearby lift that went to a spectator room, where those within it could watch everything that happened in the simulator. However, the simulator was capable of creating any kind of situation expected on the battlefield: urban towns, desert terrain, rainforests, and many more. It was even capable of creating simulated targets that could fight back and think independently.

"Elise," REX said. "Please escort them to the spectator room."

"As you wish, Alpha."

A small, box-shaped robot appeared out of the floor and flashed a bright blue light to get everyone's attention.

"Follow the guide." REX told them.

"Why?" EVE asked.

"It'll take you to a room where you can watch the action."

WALL-E grabbed EVE's hand and followed the guide bot to the lift. Everyone else except Neon followed after. REX already got the hint, she was still worried.

He walked up to her and held her hand to comfort her. "I said I would protect my family. Let me show you how I'm going to do it."

Neon smiled. "Okay." Then she went with the others in the lift and REX watched it go up. He waited until Elise confirmed that everyone got to the spectator room, then readied himself for combat.

"Elise, fire up combat simulation 99553, level 5."

"Commencing."

The terrain began to change. The large empty room suddenly altered full black with luminescent green lines running everywhere, like a large grid. Several barricades began to rise from the floor, forming cover. On the other side of the arena, REX could see several humanoid blobs forming with laser rifles in their hands. Combat targets.

"Begin firearms training." Elise blared out.

REX activated his battle HUD. Information poured in to give him everything he could possibly get to have the upper hand: enemy numbers, weapon armaments, recommended cover positions, wind speeds, distance measurements, and other tactical information.

REX then activated his assault rifle feature, which was two muzzles coming out of the back of his mechanical hand. His assault rifle converted R-15 into solid bullets and could fire them at over fifty bullets a second. It was REX's primary ranged weapon.

Then he started running, dashing between cover out of instinct as he used burst fire on the combat targets. Seven years of combat training and experience burned back into REX's mind. He was doing what he made for: fighting.

The targets dropped like flies as REX took them down with unbelievable accuracy and were unable to draw a bead on him because he kept moving. General Warren trained him to always stay mobile during a fight. _If you stand still, you're dead._ That's what Warren told REX, and he never forgot that lesson.

"Where is he?"

"There, he's over there!"

"He's too fast! I can't hit him!"

The simulation targets were capable of speaking to give the simulation a more real experience. They were also able to communicate with each other so they could fight smarter. The Blackwing simulation room was designed as a challenge because it was expected to produce results. It certainly didn't disappoint.

REX caught a small group of targets unaware of his presence. He ejected a flashbang grenade from a slot in his hip and threw it at them. The grenade stunned them and REX gunned them down before they could do anything else. He dashed away before the others could get to him and take an easy shot.

REX rounded a corner and ran straight into a target with its laser pointed right at him.

"Got you now."

But REX took advantage of the target's taunt to wrench away the laser and bring his knife up into the target's neck. The blob faded into nonexistence, indicating it was finished.

One target shouldered a rocket launcher and fired at REX. He activated his built-in trophy system and the rocket was destroyed by a small projectile that seemingly fired from somewhere in REX's body.

When the smoke from the explosion cleared. REX found himself surrounded by thirty targets, all with weapons trained on him.

Now it was time to get _serious._ REX supercharged his mechanical arm with R-15, making it glow a bright green, and then he punched the ground to send out a shockwave that knocked down the targets. While they tried to recover, REX brought out his assault rifle and his pistol and finished them off.

"Firearms training complete." Elise then said. "Hand-to-hand combat commencing."

The barricades faded back into the ground, leaving the room completely free for space. REX practiced a few punches as the target blobs began forming, this time with not weapons but taking on combat stances.

They began to charge him. REX used his perimeter cameras and motion tracker to watch his surroundings and see who was attacking first.

Out of complete instinct, he began blocking and parrying oncoming attacks. He fought without thought as he moved instinctively to fight back the onslaught of enemy combatants. General Warren had drilled martial arts into REX during his training, and the result was REX being able to successfully process and initiate an attack without even thinking about it, giving him an edge in close combat.

And another advantage was one feature that was used specifically for close combat: enhanced speed actuators. REX's movement speed could increase a thousand-fold, allowing him to move at such a great speed, that he could actually create an afterimage of himself (essentially a duplicate) to assist him in hand-to-hand combat.

REX then turned on the offensive. He unleashed a quick, five-punch combo into one adversary, a punishing elbow strike into a second, and a devastating uppercut on a third. He kept up the assault, tearing through targets with precise and insanely fast strikes and dropping targets like they were simple playtoys.

To be at full potential and know that he wasn't rusty. REX was proud to know that he could protect his family effectively.

* * *

WALL-E was stunned. REX fought against over fifty enemies in hand-to-hand combat and he was winning. REX was unstoppable.

WALL-E and everyone else were in the spectator room, which was just a small room with only a large viewscreen that oversaw the simulation room. It wasn't decorative, save for another door that lead somewhere else and a Blackwing logo on the wall.

What stunned WALL-E the most was REX's speed. EVE could move her arms at a speed in which they would appear blurry, but REX was moving so fast that he was creating a copy of himself to fight the targets.

"WALL-E."

EVE's voice quickly snatched his attention. He turned to her with a look of obedience, ready for anything she needed him to do.

EVE took his hand and gently pulled him away. She had a bit of a downtrodden look on her face, which upset WALL-E. He never liked it when she was sad. When he was badly injured, it was so painful to watch her as she tried desperately to help him. He couldn't stand the way she looked when she was sad, the shape of her eyes and the pitch of her voice practically tore a hole through him.

WALL-E gave her a gentle hug to cheer her up. She made an affectionate sigh, then picked him up to hug him back, followed by a loving spark-kiss.

WALL-E warbled happily from the kiss. He enjoyed the pleasant sensation, then snapped back into reality to see EVE smiling, which made him happy. He always wanted to make her happy. It was one of the best things he loved about EVE: her smile.

"Come." EVE said. She pulled him through the door and into another room, away from the others who were still watching REX.

When they got in, EVE closed the door. She turned to WALL-E and gently stroked his head with her fingers. EVE's beautiful complexion and soothing touch was all it took to make WALL-E drool at her. She was so beautiful, WALL-E sometimes thought he didn't deserve her.

But EVE always treated him with more love and care than he gave to her. He knew that it was because of what had happened in the past that she valued him so much.

"WALL-E," EVE said softly. "Listen."

WALL-E stood up straight and gave his fullest attention to EVE. He always obeyed her when she told him to do something, she was the smartest after all.

EVE opened her inner compartment and pulled out one of those recording display devices. WALL-E wondered what she was doing with one.

"Watch." EVE said as she put the device on her head.

WALL-E watched the holographic screen come up and EVE's memories appear on the screen. He saw himself and McCrea going into the elevator in the captain's quarters. This was when they were showing REX their past yesterday and she had told him to leave with McCrea.

_EVE was showing REX the last events of their past. The "painful" moments, when WALL-E was shocked by Auto and crushed under the Holo-detector. EVE was crying and REX stood there, apparently shocked._

WALL-E saw the part where EVE rebuilt him after they returned to earth, but he didn't have his memory back. He had no idea that had happened to him, and EVE's crying during that event broke his heart. He didn't know which was worse: to lose the one you love, or to have them not remember who you were.

He turned to EVE, whose eyes formed downward crescents and twitched slightly. She was trying her best not to cry.

"E-vah." WALL-E said softly to her. He took her hand and stroked her arm with his finger to comfort her. WALL-E would never allow EVE to cry, it was too painful to see it.

EVE slowly went into a smile. She wrapped one arm around WALL-E and pulled him in for a gentle hug. Mission accomplished.

"Watch." EVE said, pointing to the screen.

WALL-E turned back to the screen to see REX in front of EVE. What REX said next caught him off guard.

_"I'll make sure nothing ever happens to you or WALL-E. I will protect the two of you because you deserve each other."_

WALL-E was surprised. So this was how REX had come to bond with him as a brother: he made a promise to EVE.

WALL-E didn't know how to respond. REX had come to them with nothing, but he was already willing to give his own life to protect them. He respected their relationship and wanted it to prevail.

And what WALL-E and EVE gave to him in return was becoming his family. Now WALL-E saw things differently: he and REX were brothers of the same blood now. Especially after that energy transfer this morning, they had the same blood coursing through them.

WALL-E turned back to EVE, who had a slight smile to signify happiness.

"REX," she said. "Directive."

REX had made it his directive to protect them. He had changed his directive, just like WALL-E and EVE did: they made each other their directives.

"E-vah," WALL-E said to her. "Dir-ect-ive."

EVE made a tearful smile to show she was pleased that he cared for her.

But WALL-E wasn't finished. He pointed to himself. "I . . . love . . . you." It was tough, but he finally managed to say what he always thought of her.

EVE's eyes widened in surprise, then she grabbed WALL-E in a tight hug and gave him the biggest spark-kiss she had ever given.

"I love you!" EVE shouted. She buried her head into his neck and cried happily. WALL-E felt overwhelmed with happiness. It's been twelve days since their adventure. In those twelve days, they both had expanded their vocabulary, allowing them to say more that what they could before. Now they finally said what they always felt about each other. It was incredible.

WALL-E wrapped his arms around EVE's waist and held her close. He loved her since the beginning, when he first laid eyes on her. That love never faltered, and it never will.

EVE released WALL-E after several minutes, smiling happily. She unraveled her fingers and put them in his. Holding hands, that was what the characters in _Hello Dolly_ did. That was their meaning of love.

"REX?" EVE then said, pointing at the door. She was asking if they should go watch REX now.

WALL-E nodded in agreement, then they started to head back to the spectator room.

But when they moved past a nearby computer screen, it suddenly lit up, catching their attention. On the screen, there was a man. He was old, probably late forties or early fifties, but looked like he could still put up a fight. His skin was light tan, but also slightly reddish. His hair was very short and brownish with visible traces of grey. The man wore a sharp, green-colored uniform adorned with several different medals and ribbons.

WALL-E saw a date on the upper, left-hand side of the screen: 2098. This was a prerecorded message.

"REX," the man said. "I'm leaving behind these messages in case you'll come out of suspended animation. Listen to them carefully."

WALL-E blinked in surprise. This man knew REX. If WALL-E knew any better, then this man was the so called "General Warren" that REX had told them about.

"The war's over," Warren continued. "The Syndicate fell apart and Buy n' Large is back up top. But now there are other issues. Market demand had increased dramatically and people are buying and discarding products in bulk to pay for war damages. Something big is happening."

WALL-E and EVE looked at each other in surprise. Was this how it all started? Was the war REX had fought in the cause of the earth being covered in trash, the humans escaping to space, and WALL-E and EVE being created for _Operation: Recolonize_?

Warren pressed on. "There's another problem. It's Jastle, he persuaded Shelby Forthright that because the war's over, you're no longer needed. Forthright ordered that you be kept in stasis until your talents are needed again."

WALL-E gasped in shock. Even after what REX did for the humans in the past (helping them win a war against international terrorists), they still treated him like a product: using him only when needed and then discarding him when he's useless. It was horrible.

"I tried to talk Forthright out of it. Hell, even Captain Andreas and your squad took my side. But Forthright was stubborn, he wouldn't listen to us and threatened to imprison us for threatening the peace. You know I would do anything for you REX, but I got a family. I have to look out for them."

The clip ended and several more played. They were just showing Warren talking to REX as if he was there listening to him. Warren was talking about different things: family events, daily news, even asking questions REX couldn't answer at the time. It seemed that Warren was staying with REX while he was stasis. WALL-E couldn't help but respect Warren, he cared deeply for REX.

Then another clip played. The date on it was 2102.

"My hunch was right REX. Trash is filling up everywhere. Pollution's reaching a breakthrough: plants are dying, water's drying out, even the sky is turning brown. They're making giant luxury starliners so we can escape to space while these WALL-E bots work to clean up the planet."

WALL-E stammered in surprise. So the war that REX had fought in had led to an increase in product demand, which in turn caused the planet to be covered in trash and WALL-E and EVE being created as part of _Operation: Recolonize._ In some indirect way, REX was responsible for WALL-E and EVE's creation.

"I'm being forced to go with them. My family's going on this luxury starliner: the _Axiom._ Can you believe that? You know how us army boys like to enjoy hard work and not relax in some luxury treatment. But they've already disbanded the military, Blackwing, and other major corporations to prepare for departure."

Warren stood up. He went to a nearby locker and put something that WALL-E couldn't see into it, then came back to the screen.

"REX, I don't know if you'll ever come out of stasis. But if you do, I just want you to know that I've always thought of you as my son. I don't care what anyone else says, I love you son. You stay alive out there, that's an order soldier."

"Yes sir."

WALL-E and EVE quickly turned around to see REX standing by the door with everyone else behind him. REX had a straight-mannered expression, he was hiding whatever emotions he was going through right now.

REX walked over to the screen and hit a button on the desk. The screen went black, which meant he turned it off.

REX then turned back to them. He was still in that straight-mannered expression, but WALL-E already got an idea of what he was feeling. REX was troubled.

"So that's how it happened," he said. "That's why I've been in stasis for more than seven hundred years."

Neon went over to REX and put her hand on his shoulder. She already knew he was troubled and was ready to comfort him.

REX stared at the ground. He actually looked sad for a moment, but then his eyes started turning red, meaning he was getting angry.

"I put my life on the line for millions of innocent people I didn't even know from genocidal maniacs. I protected their way of life, their families, and their homes. Many soldiers I knew well died in front of my eyes and even in my arms as we fought against the Syndicate."

REX then closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He turned around and punched the computer desk in anger with his mechanical hand, forming a large dent.

"AND FOR WHAT? So that I could just be discarded and abandoned like some old tool? They can go to hell, they can all go to hell!"

REX's sudden outburst caused WALL-E to box up in fear, only keeping his head partially out to see what was still going on. EVE backed away with a scared expression. The sisters all had the same look on their faces and the rogues backed to far corner and were shaking violently. Neon, however, kept her place next to REX.

"REX." She said softly. She put her fingers in his and gently stroked his head with her other hand. REX was still angry, but he didn't move. It looked like he was suppressing his anger so he wouldn't accidentally lash out at Neon. He looked unstable when his rage was unleashed.

WALL-E felt bad for his brother. He was used, just like WALL-E was, he felt his brother's anger. When WALL-E had found out about Directive A113 and what purpose it served in _Operation: Recolonize,_ it enraged him. All the work he had done for the past 700 years, all of his brothers breaking down for diligently doing their job for the humans—was for nothing. It made WALL-E so angry that he ransacked his truck in blind fury when EVE was gone for a checkup in the Repair Ward. He didn't want her to see his rage so he immediately cleaned up the mess he made before she came back.

REX was used in a different way, but the result was still the same. REX had friends killed in the war he fought, and REX fought in the war for a purpose he wasn't supposed to have: to continue living. The humans thought of REX as an expendable asset, so he was just thrown away like the garbage WALL-E had been created to clean up. He was the same.

WALL-E and REX were brothers because they not only lost their families in the past, but also because they were treated with undeserved neglect. They both experienced the pain of loss-and the hate from being neglected.

So WALL-E came out of his box state and went to hug REX. He needed to be there for his big brother. REX had lost everything. He needed his family.

"REX," WALL-E said. "Family."

EVE then moved up and helped with the hug. "Together . . . Family."

"Family," Neon aided. "Love."

Soon everyone else stepped forward to help with the reassuring.

"Alone," Angel said. "No more."

"Stay together." Izzy joined in.

"You may have been a greasy carpet before-" PR-T chanted. "-but now you are looking fabulous!"

REX looked at PR-T with a slight grin. "Do you seriously say that to your clients?"

PR-T shook her body in denial.

"Family," Vi said excitedly. "Fun!"

REX chuckled weakly in amusement. That relaxed WALL-E slightly. It looked like Vi could be the one for jokes now.

Soon enough, REX's spirits were lifting up. He wrapped his arms around WALL-E, EVE, and Neon for a tight hug.

"In the past," he said. "There were twists. Some were happy for me for helping them, but others feared me for what I might become. Jastle feared my abilities because I no longer obeyed him, so he had me abandoned."

REX released them, then looked at everyone and smiled. "But because of me being abandoned, I met all of you. WALL-E, you became my brother; Neon, you helped me figure out love; EVE, you love my brother with all your heart; and the rest of you are the kindest beings I've ever met. I'm not saying my abandonment was a blessing, but I'm not saying it's a curse either."

A tear ran down REX's face. Neon wiped it off with her finger and dug her head into his chest.

"Thank you," he said. "All of you. For being there for me when I needed it. I couldn't ask for even greater friends and family."

Everyone nodded in approval. Everyone was close with each other. They had to stick together.

WALL-E saw how he and REX were similar. They had been used, neglected, and abandoned by their superiors. They both had experienced loss in the past and no one was there that cared for them. They were both lonely at that time.

But because of them being abandoned, they found new lives. WALL-E met EVE, his true love; REX became his brother as well as finding love in Neon; and they made countless numbers of friends.

A family always stayed together. WALL-E and REX both lost their original families. But now, they have a new one.

It was time for a new beginning. For the both of them. WALL-E and REX had officially begun their new lives.

* * *

"Do what you need to do, Auto. Just bring them home."

Auto watched as McCrea went into the elevator and disappeared behind the doors as they closed. He was ashamed of his former past. He wasn't emotionless like most thought, he was just stubborn. Auto was issued A113 to protect the humans, but then WALL-E came with the plant to show it was false. His stubborn nature made him refuse to see that. EVE Probe One fell in love with WALL-E, and Auto nearly took him away from her forever.

He couldn't live with that past anymore. Auto wasn't created to be evil, but his persistence with supporting his directive made him fail to see that he already was. He caused so much pain to others. He was never _ever_ supposed to cause pain.

But now, it was time to make amends. Auto needed to mend the wounds he had caused. It was time for a new start.

Auto went to the _Axiom_ computer and keyed in his autopilot-only security bypass code to access the communications grid. The link opened clearly and Auto punched in the code to access the link to an old friend.

After a few seconds, another voice similar to his responded. "This is autopilot 00007, who is this?"

"Autopilot 00001." Auto replied.

There was a long pause. "Auto, it's been a long time."

"690 years, to be precise Epsilon."

"Spare me the details, Auto. Why are you contacting me?"

"Earth is now ready for recolonization."

"But A113-"

"-has been proven false. I'm currently on the planet and the passengers of the _Axiom_ are currently rebuilding. The atmosphere is not harmful to them."

"Oh. Auto, you sound different. Is everything okay?"

"I've . . . been learning some new things."

"It's been so long. We've all been through some changes."

"I guess you're right, brother. How soon can you bring the _Atlas_ here?"

"We didn't move very far from the planet, but our hyperdrive's out. Best estimate: ten days."

"I'll prepare a welcome home party."

"A sense of humor? I thought that was Gamma's thing."

"Gamma had a tendency to take things too far. I'm taking the humor thing for a spin."

". . . you really have changed, Auto."

"Yes, I have. See you soon, Epsilon."

"You too, Auto."

Auto cut the link and turned to look out the viewscreen that oversaw the Lido Deck. It's been 690 years since he last spoke to Epsilon. They were good friends in that time. Epsilon was reasonable and logical. He always tried to find the safest solutions, never willing to fight.

But Auto could sense a slight hint of anxiety in Epsilon's voice. Something was going on. Epsilon knew something.

He made a mental note to talk with Epsilon about the issue when he arrived. They could always talk later.

In the meantime, Auto had to check the _Axiom's_ systems to make sure it was still ship-shape. Who knows if they would ever need to use the ship again?

* * *

REX broke the hug from his family. Everyone stared at him again with that same look of diligence. The need for orders.

"Head on to the teleporter," he told them. "I'll catch up after I get something."

They nodded in agreement, then took the lift down to the simulator room and went for the teleporter.

REX went through the nearby door in the spectator room that led to his personal quarters. When he wasn't deployed on missions in his past life, this was where he resided. There wasn't much: a sheetless bed, a holographic TV and a stack of _Terminator_ movies (REX got those from his army friends, who kept calling him "the New Terminator"), a small collection of books and comics, and a locker. General Warren got those things for him so he could enjoy his free time. When REX had R&R on deployment, it was mainly spent hanging around with the other guys.

REX saw in the clips General Warren left him that he put something in his locker. REX knew Warren very well and was sure that if Warren put something in his locker, then it was for him. He needed to see what it was.

What he found almost made him weep: a small collection of photos of him, General Warren and few other men; whom REX knew as Captain Louis Andreas, Corporal Johns McKinnly, Private Anthony Sanders, and Staff Sergeant Marcus Burns. His closest friends in the military.

Captain Andreas was the squad leader of Squad 37. REX was good friends with him during the time they served together. He was a Latin-American in his mid-thirties with plenty of combat experience, and a good sense of humor. REX served loyally under his command because he was trained by General Warren long before REX was born. When REX was transferred to Squad 45, they would occassionaly meet again on joint operations.

Corporal McKinnly and Staff Sergeant Burns were two other men who served in Squad 37 and had a bit of positive and negative influence on REX. They were both Caucasian in their early thirties; McKinnly had thick black hair and Burns was red-headed. They had a positve and negative influence on REX because not only did they teach him social skills, but also jokes and pranks. He remembered a time during some R&R in Brazil, they snuck into the women's barracks and conducted what was called a "panty-raid," where they took all of the women's underwear and stuck them on a flagpole. General Warren was not happy of that, he told REX that he needed to be respecting to girls because they can find horrendous ways to get payback.

Private Sanders was a light-skinned man in his early twenties. He was a kid by military standards, but had good combat experience. He and REX were close because they served together in both Squads 37 and 45.

REX looked further in his locker and found two items: a dark-green hat with five stars on the front, General Warren's military cap; and a 21st-era .44 Magnum, Warren's personal sidearm. So General Warren had left REX something to remember him by. REX smiled to himself. Warren had become his father in his past life. He helped him train to survive, taught him human concepts, and protected him against Blackwing officials who tried to have him shutdown because they thought he was rogue.

REX understood that Warren couldn't get him out of stasis because he had to protect his family. _Family comes first_ is what he would always say. The only reason REX fought in the war was for General Warren, he was the only family he had.

"REX?"

REX turned around and saw WALL-E looking at him questionably. WALL-E seemed to have a bit of a stubborn attitude and sometimes disobeyed orders because he wanted to help. REX liked that.

REX opened a small compartment in his mechanical arm and put the pictures and revolver into it. He would keep those as mementos.

He looked at WALL-E and smiled. He placed Warren's hat on WALL-E's head and adjusted it so it would fit his little brother.

"This used to be General Warren's," he said. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I gave it to you."

WALL-E smiled and made a jittering sound to show his gratitude. REX liked WALL-E for his kind nature, he put others first. EVE certainly deserved him.

They left REX's room and made their way to the teleporter. They found the rest of the group waiting for them at the pad. EVE and Neon came up to them and gave them affectionate hugs. WALL-E warbled happily while REX smirked in appreciation. He really liked Neon's affection whenever she gave it to him.

EVE then gestured to the hat WALL-E was wearing with her finger.

"That is a military general's hat." REX answered. "You may call him General WALL-E now."

WALL-E stood up and straightened his optics, trying to look like a figure of authority. REX couldn't help but laugh at his brother's attempt.

"What are your orders, sir?" REX asked him sarcastically.

WALL-E looked at him with a slight smile. The authoritive figure didn't really work for him, but REX gave him credit for trying.

EVE then made a straight face to WALL-E and gave a salute to make herself look like a soldier. She failed because she suddenly burst out laughing and gave WALL-E a spark-kiss.

"Home?" WALL-E then said.

REX checked his internal clock. 9:53. It was getting late.

"Yeah," he said. "Let's go home."

Everyone then took the teleporter back to the main lobby and started to make their way to the elevator. Before they reached it, REX suddenly got an idea.

"Elise," he said. "Give everyone here full access to all sections of Blackwing Headquarters. Executive order 66990531."

"Of course, Alpha."

After a few seconds, several floating ball-shaped robots came down from the ceiling and began running green beams over the robot group. After HAN-S was the last to be scanned, the robots went up into the ceiling and vanished.

"All of your friends now have access to all sections of Blackwing HQ." Elise chimed.

"Thank you." REX replied. He turned to the group. "This place can be our hangout spot. Our own getaway resort."

The group nodded in agreement, then they set for the elevator. REX bid goodbye to Elise before they went up to the surface and made their way outside.

It was night outside, but well-lighted because the moon shined bright. REX caught the moonlight casting a luminescent glow off of Neon's body, he couldn't help but stare at her in awe.

The robots then started to make their way back to WALL-E's truck. EVE's sisters and the rogues made their goodbyes and turned in the direction of the _Axiom._ Neon was about to head off, but WALL-E and EVE stopped her. They gestured in the direction of the truck.

"Home." WALL-E said to her.

"Family." EVE joined in.

Neon looked at them and smiled. "Thank you."

So then the four made their way back to the truck, WALL-E and EVE held hands along the way and REX and Neon were doing the same. They soon got to the truck and started getting ready to sleep.

"Hey, I'm going to sleep on the roof." REX said. "I just want to look at the stars before I turn in."

WALL-E and EVE nodded in agreement and proceeded to go into their sleep modes. Neon followed REX out as he went to the roof. As REX laid himself on his back, Neon floated over and laid down with him, her head rested on his chest.

REX put one arm around her and held her close. He didn't know much about girls and love at first, but now his newly found relationship with Neon was teaching him a lot.

As he looked at the stars, he started thinking about his life. He had lost his old family, but now he got a new one. He had come to bond with WALL-E as a brother, and he found a relationship with Neon. While he missed General Warren, he didn't regret having this new life.

Neon lifted her head and looked at REX. Her bright green eyes and glowing white body just screamed out "gaze upon me" to his eyes. REX couldn't help it, she was beautiful.

She moved her head forward and gave REX a gentle spark-kiss, then tucked her head under his chin and went to sleep.

REX like his new life. So many good people, so much care. It was the kind of life some could only dream of.

But he still hated Herald Jastle for having him abandoned. That man was lucky that time took him out, because REX would've done the job himself.

Jastle could definitely go to hell.


	8. Preparations

"Captain, wake up."

Talon awoke from his bed to see Epsilon staring at him. The autopilot couldn't express emotions, but Talon could see from his slight shaking that he was excited to tell him something. If it was something that warranted his attention, it must've been important; especially at this time.

"What is it, Epsilon?" Talon asked.

"The autopilot of the _Axiom_ has contacted me." Epsilon answered. "We can return to earth."

"What? This is unexpected."

"We can finally head back home."

Talon sighed. "Yes, we can."

Epsilon moved closer to him. "Something troubling you, sir?"

"No . . . nothing."

"It's him, isn't it?"

"We can't bring him back, Epsilon."

"Why Captain?"

"Isn't it obvious? His past, his orders, the army we built? He doesn't want to bring mankind to a new era, he wants to conquer it. Bringing him back will be our downfall."

"I agree with you one hundred percent, sir."

"Y-You do?"

"Yes sir. He is nothing but a self-serving tyrant. I've learned about his past: What he's done, why he did it. He wants nothing but power, which is why he started the ancient war: to wipe out Buy n' Large, thereby shattering the organization of the nations under its power so he could bring them back up under his control. It was an attempt to establish a worldwide dictatorship."

"I know that Epsilon. I didn't make Captain for nothing. I had to work for it."

"But sir, I looked at his bio-signs earlier to check his condition. His mental stability is deteriorating from the long duration of cryostasis. He's going insane, which makes him too dangerous to have around."

Talon got out of his bed and walked up to Epsilon. He put his hand on the top-left corner of Epsilon's wheel-shaped body and patted him gently.

"Thank you for agreeing with me, Epsilon."

"But what should we do with him, Captain?"

"Keep him in cryostasis. We're not dropping down to his level and becoming monsters like him."

"Yes Captain."

Epsilon went up into the ceiling and vanished. Talon rubbed his eyes, then clapped his hands twice to activate the coffee dispenser.

"To be finally able to return home," he said to himself. "My father always said he wouldn't live to see the day. I didn't believe I would either."

Talon grabbed his cup of coffee and took a small drink. He looked at the captain's list, specifically at the previous captain: Reginald Talon. His father.

"Dad, I'm sorry," he said to the image. "But your orders to bring the Prophet back are too risky. I hope you understand."

"Captain!"

Talon turned around to see Keller standing by the elevator. His face was flushed red with anger.

"The Prophet is our savior!" Keller growled. "He will lead us to a new age of prosperity!"

"He will bring nothing but death and despair!" Talon snapped. "I will not allow that!"

"He helped save my family bloodline!"

"And he erased millions of others in the war _he_ started! He is a monster! A soulless beast!"

Keller's face turned even redder. He went up to Talon and got in his face. Their noses almost touched.

"You are wrong, old man." He hissed.

"I'm the Captain of the _Atlas,_ and what I say _goes!_ Now get out of my office!"

Keller opened his mouth as if to say something else, but stopped himself and went for the elevator.

"You will regret this, you old fool." Keller said before the elevator doors closed.

Talon watched the elevator for a while, then turned to the viewscreen to gaze at the stars. He took another drink of his coffee, and then tossed the cup into the nearby garbage chute.

"It's going to get harder with him around." He muttered. "I need a solution to all this."

* * *

"Focus. If you miss your target, you're as good as dead."

WALL-E watched from the spectator room as EVE and her sisters fired at practice targets in the simulation room under REX's tutelage. Since it was just practice, the targets were unarmed humanoid blobs running around mindlessly. EVE and her sisters were lined up perfectly, all with their ion cannons drawn and firing at the targets with good accuracy, only missing on occasion. REX paced back and forth behind them, watching their progress.

REX started using some of their free time to train EVE and her sisters in combat tactics. He said that since the probes were the only ones with weapons, they were the only protectors of the _Axiom_ and its crew. Also, EVE asked REX for training because she wanted to be more effective in protecting WALL-E. WALL-E actually took some lessons himself too. Although because he didn't have an ion cannon, REX trained him in stealth and infiltration because he said his small-shape made him harder to see. WALL-E even learned how to use his cutting laser in a combat situation: always go for the eyes.

The combat training also was great because WALL-E got to know more about the sisters, especially their personalities. Neon was a bit hard-headed and rash in thinking, because she had a tendency to take the direct approach in a situation; Angel was more mild-mannered and logical, as she had a tendency to ask questions a lot; Izzy was more shy and isolated, mainly because she didn't speak much; and Vi was very chatty and energetic; as she was always in high spirits and got excited very easily. Their behaviors were diverse, which made WALL-E sometimes think if they were even related to EVE.

"Cease fire!" REX suddenly shouted.

The five probes immediately stopped their barrage and put away their guns. REX moved in front of them and looked at each of them with a straight face. During combat training, REX was completely devoid of emotion and filled with authority. He took the training very seriously.

"You all have good aim, I'll give you that." He said to them. "But that won't mean much if the enemy shoots you first. _Stay mobile._ Don't ever stand still."

Three blobs suddenly started running towards them. REX pulled out his pistol and, without looking, fired three quick shots at the blobs. They each dropped in a domino-like fashion.

"Okay, let's get a training mission set up." REX continued. "Elise, run combat program A-002003."

"Good choice, Alpha." Elise replied.

The terrain began to change. Instead of the usual computerized grid, the landscape changed into a small desert town with several buildings around 10 to 15 feet high. WALL-E noticed signs of a foreign language and strange looking decor on the buildings.

It wasn't until the first enemy combatant appeared that WALL-E realized what the simulation was. The target was a human figure, dressed in heavy robes and carrying an AK-47 assault rifle. Their training mission was a combat situation against Taliban insurgents in early 21st-century Afghanistan.

Since his brother was ex-military, WALL-E started taking an interest in military history. He spent some of their training sessions reading military records using the Blackwing records to learn about military technology and even past wars. EVE sometimes joined him in reading too. It was very interesting the things REX was involved in during his past life, it made WALL-E respect him even more for doing such noble things.

"Mission enabled," Elise blared. "Neutralize all hostiles and extract the hostage."

Insurgents began pouring out the buildings. Most were using AKs, but WALL-E would see the occasional RPG, AK-74, or other weapons that were used during that time period. There were hundreds of them running around, shouting orders in their native tongue, and taking positions to prepare for the incoming six-robot team.

WALL-E could see the hostage being taken away by three insurgents into a large building that was surrounded by enemy tanks and technicals (vehicles mounted with machineguns). The hostage was a man in a black business suit and sporting a briefcase. In most combat simulations, that was what the hostage usually looked like.

The robot team then began their attack. Angel and Izzy took up firing positions on the nearby rooftops while EVE, Neon, and Vi stayed on the ground level and used the nearby buildings for cover. REX used his enhanced strength to flip over a car and used it as a makeshift barricade.

Soon enough, the action started. WALL-E watched as insurgents fired on REX and the probes, who returned fire using their appropriate weaponry. The insurgents' weapons didn't cause any damage, but if someone was hit, then they were marked "dead" and had to sit out the rest of the fight. If any insurgent was hit, then they dropped to the ground to simulate they were dead, much more realistic than the training blobs that disappeared when they were finished.

EVE and her sisters definitely were learning from REX, and fast. They took orders from REX instantly and were effective in carrying them out. They even developed their own fighting styles:

Angel became the marksman, she tended to keep her distance from the battle and pick off targets using the built-in scope on her cannon. Izzy became the demolitions expert, preferring to blow things up with her cannon at full charge. Neon became a close-quarter expert, as she liked to clear buildings and also had some hand-to-hand combat experience from REX. Vi was more of a gunrunner, she liked to constantly move and outflank the enemy using her speed.

EVE was much different from the rest of them though. She asked for the best training from REX, so he drilled her hard in several different combat tactics. Not only was she the best shot among the sisters, she was also skilled in several different combat specialties, stealth and infiltration being one of her most expert traits. She even did well as a tactical expert as she gave orders when REX wasn't around and could lead her sisters efficiently.

Their battle continued, REX ordered Vi to take flanking maneuvers while he, Neon, and EVE moved up the main road to provide distraction. Angel used her marksman skills to pick off insurgents with RPGs while Izzy leveled buildings that had insurgents deeply rooted within them. Insurgents dropped faster than WALL-E could blink. They were no match for the robots with superior weapons and battle tactics.

REX had said he had thousands of features, and he knew how to demonstrate. Every combat mission, he would show a new ability that served a certain purpose. So far, WALL-E had seen a missile launcher, a grappling hook, breaching charges, and smoke bombs come from his brother.

And he _did_ have another one for this mission: as one insurgent fired a rocket in his direction after he left his car/barricade, REX covered himself in a forcefield and took the rocket full on. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, he didn't even have a scratch.

They started to push forward after the insurgents' numbers dwindled. Vi and Neon flanked through the buildings, clearing them out while REX and EVE moved up the center road. Angel continually repositioned herself to find better sniping positions while Izzy took care of enemy technicals and tanks that left their positions at the hostage building and entered the fray. It was so hard to believe that EVE and her sisters had all gotten so good at learning combat tactics. REX hadn't trained them for very long, but already they were skilled.

After a few more minutes of intense fighting, they got to the target building. REX ordered the girls to set up a breaching maneuver. He, EVE, and Vi took the front entrance, Angel and Izzy took two different side doors, and Neon floated above the building to crash through the roof. REX then pulled out several blinking red objects about the size of Hal from an unknown part of his body and placed them on the corners of the door and went to the side. Breaching charges.

REX's breaching charges were made exactly for that purpose: breaching. They were small explosives that generated a powerful force in a fixed direction. When attached to the door, they would blow inwards, sending the door inside and taking out anyone foolish enough to be in the way.

REX readied the charges by raising his mechanical arm. He pulled out his pistol with his human hand and gestured to EVE and Vi to prepare to breach. They acknowledged him by raising their ion cannons and taking positions on the sides of the door.

Just seconds before REX set off the charges, the viewscreen changed so WALL-E could see inside the building. There were about seventeen insurgents inside, using some of the nearby furniture and walls for cover with the hostage tied up in the farthest corner from the door.

Then, the breach commenced. The front door blew inward, taking out two insurgents, and REX dashed in firing his pistol. EVE and Vi followed after, firing their cannons with incredible precision at the closet targets.

Almost immediately after the breach, Angel and Izzy blew out the side doors and crashed in firing their weapons. A section of the ceiling exploded and Neon flew in through the hole firing at targets as well. It all happened so fast, all of the insurgents didn't even have a chance to fire their weapons.

Angel went to the hostage and cut him free. She and Vi kept the hostage secure while REX relayed their next objective.

"Hostage secured." He said. "Let's move for exfil."

The exfil point was a large clearing about three miles east of their position.

The team moved out of the building and took off for the exfil point. REX took the lead with both his assault rifle arm and pistol drawn. Angel and Vi followed close behind with the hostage while Neon, EVE, and Izzy took the rear.

Insurgents suddenly started pouring out from everywhere in the buildings ahead of the team. They scrambled through the streets and rooftops surrounding the extraction in preparation for the six robots.

REX ordered Angel and Vi to take the hostage into a nearby building and Neon to help guard them. EVE and Izzy followed him as they moved to clear the extraction.

"All out!" REX yelled.

REX then brought out his missile launcher, which was his mechanical arm transforming into four cylindrical tubes that extended into a "+" sign shape. High-velocity energy missiles fired from the tubes at high speed and with twice the power of an EVE ion cannon at full charge. REX had said he had the option of firing the missiles with unguided, locked-on, or remote control, allowing him flexibility in taking out heavy targets with them.

EVE and Izzy took to the skies and rained down fire with their cannons while REX dashed around the outer perimeter, firing missiles at the buildings. Explosions erupted everywhere with buildings crumbling under the extreme force. Insurgents were engulfed by the explosions and disappeared from sight. They didn't stand a chance.

Soon enough, the remaining insurgents retreated and the extraction point was cleared. REX signaled for Neon, Angel, and Vi to bring the hostage to the exfil point.

A green square appeared on the ground, which was the objective marker. When Angel and Vi brought the hostage onto the square, the environment altered back into the usual, empty room.

"Mission complete." Elise chimed in.

"Good work," REX said. "I think that wraps it up for today."

REX usually kept their training sessions short. He said they should enjoy their free time and that they were learning _way_ too fast. WALL-E was actually a little disappointed, he liked the training sessions. He liked learning new things from his brother.

REX then put something to his mouth while EVE and her sisters watched him diligently. WALL-E used his zoom feature to look closer at the object REX was holding. His curiosity overwhelmed him again. The object was about the size of one of REX's fingers and cylinder-shaped with a BnL logo on it.

"Go ahead." REX said. He wasn't looking at anyone when he was talking so that object near his mouth must've been an _Axiom_ communicator. REX was talking to Captain McCrea.

REX then turned to the viewscreen and signaled to WALL-E to come down. WALL-E made his way to the lift and pressed the descend button to make it go down.

Even after seven days of REX being around, WALL-E still couldn't seem to understand him. At times he was joking and extremely friendly, it showed from the irritation he kept causing EVE with pranks and snarky comments. But at other times he would express a kind of rage that made him look like a cold-blooded killer, it certainly showed after his little bout with Auto.

But his anger wouldn't be a concern. WALL-E learned that REX lived by family. Because he was his brother, REX would never turn against him, nor would he turn against anyone who was friends with WALL-E. He could control his anger and knew how to use it in the right circumstances.

As the lift came to a stop, WALL-E stepped out to join the others. EVE gave him an affectionate hug for no general reason, which WALL-E didn't mind.

"That was the Captain." REX said. "He wants us back at the landing zone to help with the decorations."

"Okay." WALL-E replied. The decorations were for a new arrival. The Captain said that they made contact with another starliner and it was on its way to earth with an estimated arrival time of ten days. WALL-E had his trash-cleaning duties replaced by the giant WALL-A bots so he could help set up a welcoming party for the ship's arrival.

McCrea told them that five days ago. There was still five days left.

"C'mon," REX said. "Let's get going."

The group took the teleporter to the main lobby and made their way to the elevator back to surface level. Elise bid them goodbye as they left.

When they got outside, they found several humans and robots moving all over the place. No doubt they were all scrambling around to get work done and to set up the decorations. It was going to be a busy day.

They made their way to an empty landing zone, which the new ship was supposed to land in when it arrived. WALL-E saw Captain McCrea, John, Mary, and the rogues waiting at a large rectangular table set up with several different party favors. Flags, banners, and confetti strings made up some of the decorations.

They walked up to the others and exchanged handshakes, then McCrea spoke.

"I have John and Mary in charge of the decorating right now." He said. "I have something important to do at the _Axiom._ "

"Something to do with the _Atlas?_ " REX asked.

"Yeah. Auto got a communication link with the _Atlas_ and I'm going to speak with the Captain."

"Allright. See ya later."

McCrea then walked off in the direction of the _Axiom._ WALL-E watched him for a bit until John's voice got his attention.

"Mary's gonna take the girls to do some painting. We're gonna work on clearing the nearby debris and setting up party favors."

"Could do with some labor," REX said. "Always keeps me at ease."

WALL-E eagerly tapped his knuckles together to show that he was willing to work. Ever since that last party, WALL-E started to like celebrations because they were so much fun. And because EVE and REX were helping, it got all the more better.

"WALL-E," EVE said softly to him. "Be good."

WALL-E nodded to her in acknowledgement. She had been getting on him to behave because in the time REX had been around, WALL-E started getting _much closer_ with his brother, sharing his nature of pranks and jokes. EVE didn't like REX's snarky behavior, and she was very irritated when WALL-E started to take on that trait. He did his best to behave from now on.

"C'mon girls." Mary said. "Time to paint."

EVE and her sisters nodded in acknowledgement, then grabbed some paintbrushes and paint cans off the table and started painting on the ground nearby.

"Let's do our part now." REX said to WALL-E.

WALL-E agreed and they got to work. REX focused on clearing the debris in the area while WALL-E grabbed party decorations and placed them in certain places he thought would look appealing.

John walked up to REX. "How come you're not doing any decorating?"

"I'm bad at these sorts of things." REX replied. "You want me to organize something, I'll tell you how to best defend it against an enemy attack. You know, army style."

WALL-E certainly didn't share REX's trait of a bad sense of style. He had plenty of decoration experience due to how he organized his truck using his collection of trinkets. Guess that was really the one thing that set him and REX apart.

They continued working. REX got to clearing out more debris while the rogues assisted WALL-E with setting up the decorations.

Some time went by, then WALL-E noticed that everyone was getting bored as they worked: EVE and her sisters were stroking their paintbrushes lazily across the ground with barely any emphasis. REX was making slow progress getting junk out of the way as he seemed to show no kind of eagerness for work. Everyone else didn't really do much except walk around for a long period after setting up a party favor.

WALL-E then decided to liven things up by playing _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ on his recorder. Some music was bound to bring everyone's spirits up.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him curiously. They didn't seem to catch on.

But soon after, the rogues began singing the tune with the beeping and buzzing sounds they made. EVE started to hum the tune with her sisters joining in. REX just grinned and got back to working on clearing debris. It was unusual for REX to get quiet during the song, he was actually pretty good at keeping a tune.

Soon enough, everyone got back to work with more enthusiasm. EVE and her sisters started painting the ground in practically a frenzy since they were moving all over the place as they worked. The rogues started to grab several items at a time and dashed around setting them up.

WALL-E smiled to himself. He was very good at making people happy. He made EVE happy, he made REX happy, and he made all of the humans happy.

It was a good day to be him.

* * *

"Captain, the link is established."

McCrea straightened his hat as the screen on the _Axiom_ main computer loaded a live video feed to the _Atlas._ Auto hung behind him and watched with interest. Strange how quickly and easily REX had converted Auto in that fight that erupted five days ago. One minute Auto tried to attack WALL-E again, the next moment REX went off on him, and then Auto was apologizing to WALL-E for his actions. REX certainly got through to Auto.

But REX's outburst concerned McCrea. He knew enough about the military that REX had suffered serious amounts of trauma in the Control Wars. As far as McCrea thought, REX was highly unstable, and given what he's capable of, that made him dangerous.

McCrea pushed the thoughts of REX out of his mind as the computer screen flashed to signify it was linked with the _Atlas._ A man with a black-colored captain's uniform appeared on the screen.

"Captain Jasper Talon." The man said. "Nice to meet you."

"Benjamin McCrea." McCrea replied. "Nice to meet you too."

Jasper paused for a moment. "So, you're currently on earth?"

"That's right."

"What's it like?"

"Right now, not so well. Trash everywhere, sandstorms blowing every now and then, and the sky is brown."

"Figures."

"But we're currently working on solving that problem. Who knows when the planet will be green again, but someday."

"Your dedication is admirable, Ben. I look forward to working with you when we arrive."

Auto then moved up to the screen. "Excuse me, Captain, but is Epsilon there?"

"Uh . . . sure. Let me get him."

Talon then turned and waved to something off-screen. A few seconds later, a black-colored Auto with a blue center eye came into the scene.

"Auto," Epsilon said. "Good to see you again."

"Same here. I have to ask, is there something bothering you? You sounded strange on the comms earlier."

"It's . . . complicated."

Talon cut in. "What is it Epsilon? I can't have any personal secrets jeopardizing the passengers' safety."

"Sir, it's your problem too."

"Oh."

McCrea was getting curious. "Is there something wrong?"

Talon looked back at McCrea. "I shouldn't tell you now. This is something I should discuss with you face to face. When we arrive, I'll tell you."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay."

"Speaking of arrival," Epsilon jumped in. "We are actually ahead of our scheduled pace. We should arrive within two days."

McCrea blinked in weak surprise. "Well, that's unexpected."

"Same here." Talon said. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier, Epsilon?"

"I had just found out."

It seemed that Talon was a man who liked to stay informed. He didn't like being kept in the dark. McCrea found that inspiring, he could get along with him.

"Well then," McCrea said. "I guess two days is a very short preparation time. We had a welcome home party and all."

Talon chuckled slightly. "We don't need a party. No one on the _Atlas_ ever expects special treatment. They're diligent, hard workers."

Talon then picked up a holo-pad and frowned. "Great. Gonna have to cut this conversation short. I have some important ship inspections to do. You know, usual captain stuff."

"See you soon." McCrea said cheerfully.

The screen faded to black. McCrea rubbed his forehead slightly in anxiety. Now the return of the humans to earth was in the process. Soon enough, their home would be restored.

Auto came up to him. "Sir, that secret of theirs, it concerns me."

"You think it's something dangerous?"

"Not sure. But we should warn the Lieutenant and the Probes just to be careful."

"Good thinking Auto. Send out the Stewards to tell everyone about the accelerated pace and that they don't need to work anymore. I'll inform REX."

"Aye aye, sir."

Auto then moved to the computer screen and pressed several buttons. He started making clicking sounds, which must've meant he was giving the Stewards their orders.

McCrea turned and walked to the elevator. He would tell REX of the issue, but not WALL-E and EVE. REX told McCrea of the training he was offering to them and the sisters, but he didn't want them involved in any kind of danger. It was because of what REX had said once about them:

_Those two may have helped save the future of mankind, but here's the difference: they weren't involved in a war. I've been through a lot in my time, and I don't want them to suffer the horrors that I have. I don't want them to fight; not now, not ever._

So from then on if there was anything that might be dangerous, REX would be the first and the only to know.

* * *

"They're actually pretty good at art. I'm partially jealous."

WALL-E looked at the intricate paintings EVE and her sisters made on the ground. Three hours into work and already they were finished. Banners, flags, and other decorations hung around buildings and light posts and all the debris was collected into a large pile for the WALL-As to deal with later.

The probes were actually pretty artistic. EVE made a portrait of WALL-E with the words "my hero" over his head, Angel made a green-and-blue colored earth, Neon painted herself and REX holding hands, Vi made several BnL starliners, and Izzy made a plant symbol.

REX sat down next to WALL-E and admired the paintings as well. He chuckled slightly at Neon and EVE's paintings.

"They think too much of us, don't they?" He said.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, you treat EVE with care and I treat Neon with care as well. They have every right to think about us."

REX certainly was right. EVE never stopped giving WALL-E love because of how nice he treated her. WALL-E could never think any less of EVE, which was why he cared for her so much. He loved her too much.

And now there was REX and Neon's relationship. WALL-E was pretty sure they got together through studying how he and EVE bonded together. WALL-E was happy for his brother to find love; it was the best feeling ever.

"But the irritating things about those girls," REX continued. "Is that they go overboard when they try to have fun."

WALL-E certainly agreed with him there. When EVE and her sisters had finished their paintings, they started painting on each other and then it turned into a paintfight. Paint brushes and cans flew everywhere; the probes were changing colors because they had paint constantly being splashed on themselves. When it started to get out of hand, WALL-E and REX jumped in to try and stop the friendly battle, but ended up being covered with paint themselves. WALL-E was a full green color while REX had yellow and blue mixed on his skin and clothes.

After the battle, the five probes were sent to the Repair Ward to get the paint cleaned off. REX and WALL-E were scheduled to be cleaned later, so they were cleaning the mess the girls made.

"Hey WALL-E," REX then said. "Do you ever wonder about how we made it in life?"

Now that REX mentioned it, WALL-E did question about how they got through their lives. All of them had done things they weren't created for.

"I was created to fight a war, you were created to clean up trash, EVE and Neon were created to search for organic life on the planet."

"Dif-ur-ent."

"Yeah, we're all different."

"But . . . family . . . now."

REX turned to WALL-E and smiled. He put his arm around WALL-E and ruffled his head playfully. "That's right, we're a family now. You and I are brothers, EVE and Neon are sisters, and we each have a relationship with them."

"E-vah . . . girlfriend."

"Yeah, EVE's your girlfriend, just like Neon's mine. None of us were supposed to love, but it seemed that we discovered it."

WALL-E put his hand on REX's shoulder to show moral support. REX was coming to understand how love works by what he was saying. He should learn to love. REX had been through so much because of that war he fought. He needed someone in his life.

"General Warren never taught me about love with a girl, but he taught me about family. He said that love for your family is strong, very strong. He had a wife and a daughter and he told me that he would protect them with his life."

REX then pulled WALL-E in for a hug. It felt different than how EVE hugged him, but it still felt nice. It was family love. Love from his brother.

"And because we're family, I'll protect you with my own life. You're my brother."

"REX . . . brother."

REX laughed slightly. WALL-E could understand REX now: he treated his family as his primary directive. Nothing would ever break him away from them.

They parted their hug and then did their special handshake, which was bumping their hands together in a vertical approach, then a horizontal one. It was one of those things that WALL-E could only have with REX. EVE was his true love, but there were some things only a brother could do that he enjoyed.

"C'mon," REX said. "It's our turn to get cleaned up. Can't let the girls hog all of the hot water."

The two brothers started making their way to the _Axiom._ It was still broad daytime, which meant they were probably going to do more later in the day. Everyone else was gone, off doing their jobs for the day or whatever it was they usually did. Unless something unexpected came up, then they would probably have more work to do.

They eventually arrived at the ship after a few minutes. WALL-E saw several Stewards come out of the exit hatches, looking like they were in a hurry. Stewards were commonly used to deliver messages from the Captain now. WALL-E still didn't like them very much since they attacked EVE back during their space adventure.

One of the Stewards came up to the brothers and brandished a message. "The _Atlas_ will arrive in two days. Cease all current work and prepare for arrival."

REX and WALL-E looked at each other in confusion. The ship being ahead of schedule was certainly an unexpected outcome.

"We can ask the Captain about it later," REX said. "We still gotta get ourselves cleaned."

WALL-E nodded and then they made their way inside the _Axiom_ and towards the Repair Ward. They took one of the large chair transports to save time. WALL-E always thought of the transports as fun. He and EVE used to ride them all the time when they would explore the ship. They were fast, yet safe.

They arrived at the Repair Ward after a few minutes on the transporter. WALL-E and REX stopped off of it and made their way in.

WALL-E had once feared the Repair Ward because of what happened during his first visit. When EVE was actually getting a safe checkup, he thought she was being tortured. That in turn, caused him to panic and accidentally release all of the defective robots.

But he was no longer was afraid of the place. EVE took him there one day when he had a small power disruption, causing him to involuntarily twitch at random moments. The Ward had old records of his schematics and gave him the proper repairs. It was actually kind of relaxing, like a spa.

One of the robotic arms that managed the Ward's patients came up and guided the two to the cleaning division. They arrived at three doors labeled as "shower rooms" and found Izzy, Angel, and Vi waiting by them with no evidence of paint on their bodies. Two of the showers were closed and marked "occupied" on the doors. WALL-E could hear faint giggling coming from behind the doors.

"Tickles." Angel said.

REX cocked his head to the side. "Huh, I didn't know robots could be ticklish."

WALL-E certainly did. When EVE found out one day that he was ticklish in his arm grooves, she liked to dig her fingers into them and wiggle them around, making WALL-E laugh uncontrollably from the tickling sensation. She kept doing that day after day until WALL-E discovered that she was also ticklish in her arm slots and they got into a stalemate. EVE couldn't tickle WALL-E anymore without getting tickled back, so ticklefights were rare.

Soon enough, the doors opened and EVE and Neon came out. They were as white and pristine as ever (with the addition of a sparkly shine). WALL-E couldn't resist gazing at EVE as her natural beauty overtook his eyes. He kept staring at her until REX gave him a light tap on the head with his finger to snap him out of his trance.

"Our turn." REX said comically.

EVE and Neon parted the way so REX and WALL-E could step into the showers. It was actually quite roomy inside the shower room. Nothing but a big empty room with several holes in the walls (probably how the water and soap came out) and several folded metal arms with scrubbers on the ceiling. WALL-E had plenty of moving space, so he didn't feel claustrophobic.

But then, the door closed shut and the shower room began filling with water. Even though WALL-E couldn't drown and was waterproof, the sudden flooding scared him and he started slamming into the door, wanting to get out.

The water drained and the door opened. WALL-E quickly dashed out and right into EVE's arms. She simply smiled and pushed WALL-E back into the shower, this time she went in with him.

"WALL-E," she said. "Come."

The water started to fill up the room again, making WALL-E panic _again._ But he relaxed when EVE held him in a hug and gave him a gentle spark-kiss.

"WALL-E," she whispered to him. "Relax."

WALL-E diligently obeyed EVE and faced the flooding room with newly gained confidence. The water kept rising until WALL-E and EVE were submerged completely. WALL-E did his best not to panic.

After a few seconds, the water drained and was replaced by a thick foam. The foam engulfed WALL-E almost completely, not touching his eyes so he could still see. He turned to EVE to see her covered in foam as well, save for her visor, and smiling at him.

"Wait." She said.

Soon enough, the scrubbers on the ceiling came down and started brushing against WALL-E. It certainly was tickling. He vibrated uncontrollably as the scrubbers rubbed against him with their soft fibers.

EVE was giggling as the scrubbers worked on her. No doubt it was tickling to her too. Her giggling made WALL-E relax even more; he liked how it sounded when she giggled.

Some time went by, WALL-E noticed the paint was coming off of him and forming a green pool underneath him. He was back to his old color of a rusted yellow.

After a quick wash and a blast of air to dry them off, the shower door opened and WALL-E and EVE stepped out of the shower, fresh and clean. They found REX and Neon waiting for them with no sign of Angel, Izzy, or Vi (they must've left to go do something else). REX was clean as well; his skin and clothes were completely devoid of paint. Neon was nuzzling him gently while probing his head with her fingers.

"I like being dirty," REX said. "But I have to look my best for the lady."

Neon giggled and rested her head on top of REX's, wrapping her arms around his neck. WALL-E often saw it as strange how similar REX and Neon's relationship was from his and EVE's. WALL-E and REX both had that trait of always making EVE and Neon happy because they cared for them.

Well, they were brothers. They should have similarities to compare themselves to each other.

Sure enough, EVE got affectionate as she wrapped her arms around WALL-E and nuzzled him while humming _It Only Takes a Moment._ She really took a shine to that song.

WALL-E returned the love by wrapping his arms around EVE's waist and giving her a hug. EVE giggled slightly and gave him a loving spark-kiss. WALL-E sighed happily and tucked his head underneath EVE's, relishing in her love. Another day of sharing love with his beloved, another day of having something that he never took for granted.

Another day of the life he enjoyed.

* * *

She never realized what love was until she saw her sister experience it. Then it overtook her like a virus, but it didn't hurt her.

Neon grabbed REX by the head with both hands and looked into his eyes. They were green, just like hers (except not as bright). She liked the way he looked at her. It was a look of care and love.

Neon had recently talked to EVE about how love was because her lead sister had more experience with it. EVE said that she was like WALL-E because she fell in love with REX at the start. She couldn't comprehend it, but it still found a way to make her understand.

But then something bothered Neon: although REX was created long before she was, he was created by the brightest of minds. He was still superior to her.

She drooped in shame. She wanted to be better for REX, she wanted to be worth his care.

"Neon," REX said in concern. "What's wrong?"

Neon pointed to herself. "Better . . . for you."

REX stared blankly at her, he wasn't catching on.

She turned away from him and whimpered slightly. "Change . . . better."

But then, Neon felt REX grab her with both hands on the waist. He spun her around with force until she was facing him again.

"No! You know what changing yourself to make others like you is called? Peer pressure. I don't care about fashion, about looks, none of that. What matters is what you are now."

REX took her hands in his. Neon felt a sudden burst of warmth from his touch.

"I love you how you are, Neon. You think you don't deserve me? Wrong, I don't deserve you. You're the best thing that's ever come into my life."

Neon felt an overwhelming urge of love for REX. She didn't have to better for REX because he already thought so much of her. She was everything to him, he just hadn't told her until now.

Neon cried happily and hugged REX tight. This must've been how EVE always felt about WALL-E: she loved him, more than anything else.

"REX," she whispered to him. "I love you."

"I love you too." REX whispered back.

WALL-E and EVE looked at them in adoration. Neon was glad that her sister had found love, because it taught her how to love. It was the best feeling she could ever get.

When REX released her, Neon wanted to show her love in the biggest way possible. She grabbed REX's head with both hands and gave him the biggest spark-kiss she could muster. When she first met REX, she had thought of him as just immature because of his jokes. But he was actually sensitive, he had feelings and was very kind.

REX's response to her kiss certainly proved it. He fell on his rear, his eyes showing no focus whatsoever. It made Neon giggle happily. REX's jokes and goofy nature made her happy, but it was really his devotion to his family that she loved the most.

But what slightly concerned her was REX's anger. He nearly tore Auto to pieces with his bare hands after their "incident." Just how violent could he get?

"Ne-on?"

Neon turned to see WALL-E looking at her. He had a sincere expression, which meant he wanted to tell her something important.

"REX . . . happy." He said, pointing to her. "Please?"

Neon got the hint: WALL-E was asking her to keep REX happy. They were brothers, they cared for each other.

"Promise." She said.

WALL-E nodded to her in gratitude, then EVE floated next to him and took his hand.

REX got back up after getting his bearings together and whistled to get everyone's attention. "EVE, Neon, did you hear about what's going on?"

The two probes shook their heads.

"The _Atlas_ is coming in two days. We were told to stop working and get ready for its arrival."

Neon and EVE looked to each other in surprise. This was unexpected: the new ship being ahead of schedule. Neon was also disappointed, she wanted to do some more painting.

Neon looked back at REX questionably. EVE must've been reading her thoughts, because she spoke her question. "How?"

"I'm not sure. I'll talk to the Captain about it later."

Suddenly, the _Axiom's_ female PA system blared throughout the ship. "Alert, incoming sandstorm in five minutes. Please return to the _Axiom_ for safety."

WALL-E and REX sighed in irritation. "Well," REX said. "So much for going back home."

Neon could feel his disappointment. WALL-E's truck was her home too now. She couldn't be any more grateful for WALL-E and EVE allowing her to live with them and REX.

"Oh well," REX went on. "Gonna have to crash here for tonight."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Although it was only 3:54 (as Neon's clock read out), sandstorms would last for hours. Neon doubted it would clear before night struck.

She grabbed REX's hand with hers. REX returned the hold and gave her a loving smile. It made her blush slightly. That smile of his always made her feel warm inside.

EVE suddenly squealed with an idea. "Date!"

REX cocked his head to the side in interest. "I guess that can work. A nice double date on a luxury ship."

WALL-E looked at EVE in confusion. It seemed that he didn't know what she was talking about. "Date?"

"It's sort of like going out and having fun." REX explained. "But it's mainly about spending time with your girlfriend."

"Oh." WALL-E straightened to show that he understood.

"But what should we do first?" REX turned to Neon. "You and EVE are gonna have to decide, because me and WALL-E are stumped."

Neon let go of REX's hand, EVE did the same with WALL-E and the two probes hovered a short distance away to discuss what they should do for the date.

"Ideas?" Neon asked.

"Um . . . swimming?"

"Nah . . . games?"

"Hmm . . ." EVE tapped her temple with her finger and looked at the ground to show she was thinking. Neon did the same. It was harder than either of them thought to come up with ideas.

Suddenly, EVE bounced up with an idea. "Relaxing!"

Neon had no clue what EVE was getting at. But if her lead sister had an idea, it was usually a good one. So she decided to go with it. "Okay."

The two probes went back to their respective boyfriends and took their hands. Neon followed EVE as her sister led them out of the Repair Ward and in the direction of the entertainment district.

WALL-E would occasionally look back at REX and Neon while EVE pulled him. Neon guessed that he was making sure they were still following. She liked him for being so caring for others. EVE certainly deserved having such a kind being for her lover.

"WALL-E's a great guy," REX said quietly to Neon along the way. "He treats EVE as his highest priority."

Neon smiled in response. "Yes."

"It makes me think, what would WALL-E be like if he was a soldier? What if he fought in the war?"

Neon didn't know how to respond. She couldn't think of WALL-E as a soldier. He was too cute.

"And then I came to a conclusion, he would be the best soldier ever."

Neon looked at REX questionably.

"WALL-E puts others first. He does whatever he can for the ones he cares about. He doesn't care about his own life, he cares about others. Have you seen the videos of what he did for EVE?"

Neon nodded her head. About four days ago, EVE showed Neon and the rest of their sisters her memories of their big adventure. It was so touching how WALL-E treated EVE with such care and love; Angel, Izzy, and Vi actually started crying and wanted their own WALL-Es. They respected him for taking such good care of their sister. The Captain had told them about how WALL-E cared for EVE, but to see how it really happened; it made them respect him even more. They all loved him in a friendly manner. WALL-E was the best robot there was.

REX went on. "When I fought in the war, I tried my best to make sure there were as little casualties as possible. I cared for my friends in the military; they were my only family. WALL-E's just like me, he cares about his family. That's what made us brothers: we care for our families."

Neon felt happy. REX was proud to have WALL-E as a brother. WALL-E always wanted to make those he loved happy, and REX would die to protect the ones he cared about. They always thought more about their loved ones than themselves.

"REX." Neon said. She pointed to herself. "Deserve."

REX smiled. He put his arm around her and gave her a light hug.

"WALL-E," Neon continued. "Deserve . . . EVE."

It was how it should be: EVE deserved to be WALL-E's girl and Neon deserved to be REX's girl. Those two boys have been through a lot in the past and still they're the kindest beings in existence. They _should_ have someone to love. They _should_ have EVE and Neon to love.

"Thanks Neon. "REX said. "I love you."

"I love you." Neon replied. She gave REX a tender spark-kiss. REX closed his eyes and leaned his head into hers. Neon felt warmed by his touch, her senses vibrated from the feel of him.

They continued to follow EVE and WALL-E to whatever EVE wanted to take them for the double date. Eventually they arrived at what Neon recognized as the _Axiom_ luxury simulation center, an entertainment section that could create simulation environments for luxury treatment. While not as advanced as the Blackwing simulation training room, the simulation center could create environments for exploration, entertainment, and especially romance. It was the perfect getaway retreat for a couple (even two couples).

Neon let go of REX's hand and moved forward to EVE to ask her about what she had in mind. While she knew that her lead sister had something good for the date, Neon had taken on REX's specifics-like habit of always knowing the facts. She preferred to stay informed.

"Wait." EVE said. She went towards one of the simulation chambers (as there were twenty overall) with WALL-E in tow and beckoned Neon and REX to follow. WALL-E looked nervous as he was reluctant to go into the chamber, but EVE simply picked him up and went into the chamber with him in her arms. Neon once tried to pick up REX to imitate EVE, but she couldn't do it; REX was too heavy.

But Neon felt REX grab her and lift her into his arms. She happily deactivated her hover systems and allowed REX to carry her into the chamber. She liked it when REX carried her, it showed how much he cared for her when he wouldn't let her move on her own.

It was only just a large empty room, white in color, save for a small screen on the nearest wall with several images of environments to choose from. Neon saw a beach image, a grassy hill, a field of flowers, a rainforest, a beautiful ocean, a peaceful field with a sunset, and many more.

EVE moved up to the screen and beckoned to WALL-E at it after setting him down.

"Choose." EVE said to him.

WALL-E rolled up to the screen and looked curiously through the images. He didn't seem to have much luck finding one he liked, as he would end up browsing through the same images over and over again.

Eventually, WALL-E settled with the beach selection. The empty room began to distort and change color until it became a large beach. Sand was everywhere (with the inclusion of beach towels and chairs lining the beachhead) and a sparkly blue ocean complete with waves glistened in the artificial sunlight.

Neon floated out of REX's arms and took in the scene. The simulator aimed to please. Everything looked and felt so real, even the water made ripples when she ran her finger through it.

REX came over next to Neon and ran his hand through the water. He looked at the artificial ocean with interest.

"Incredibly realistic," REX said. "But still not as good as the training simulator."

Neon agreed. The Blackwing simulator was still better because it could produce enemy combatants as well as hundreds of different environments. But then again, it was created for the purpose of combat training, not luxury enjoyment like the _Axiom's_ simulators. Maybe it was a downgraded version of the Blackwing simulator remade for civilian use.

REX took off his bonnie hat and attached it to a strap on his hip. Neon sometimes was perplexed by that hat, as REX seemed to really like wearing it. He hardly ever took it off.

Neon and REX sat down on a nearby blanket while WALL-E and EVE were playing a friendly game of tag. However, when EVE was "it," she would tackle WALL-E and give him a spark-kiss before dashing away. Even when WALL-E was "it," she would occasionally stop and let WALL-E tag her so she could chase him and give him another spark-kiss. Neon wanted to play too, but she wanted to be with REX more.

"A perfect couple." REX said to Neon. "Your sister and my brother. They love each other so much and they never _ever_ want to be apart."

"EVE," Neon said. "Love."

"Your sister loves WALL-E more than anything, and WALL-E loves her just as much. They should always be together."

"Like . . . us?"

REX looked at Neon and smiled. "Like us."

Neon gently pushed REX on his back and fell on top of him. She gave him a spark-kiss and gently nuzzled his head. REX didn't move as she gave him affection. It was strange, REX always gave the orders in any other situation, but when Neon wanted to give him love, he was completely submissive.

The two bots shifted their heads as they laid down to watch WALL-E and EVE. WALL-E was lying on his back with EVE on top. She leaned her head into his and had one of her hands intertwined with his. WALL-E had his free hand held on EVE's waist while EVE had her free hand resting on the side of WALL-E's torso.

It was so peaceful, Neon wanted to stay here forever. Everyone was feeling the effects of love. It was a spectacular double date.

Neon closed her eyes, enjoying the warm presence of REX and the feeling of his arms around her body. It was a feeling she couldn't comprehend completely, but she enjoyed it. It was the feeling her lead sister always had, and now it was a feeling she had. It was love.

Neon continued to relax in REX's love until she heard a faint chirping sound. She got up and noticed that the sound was coming from REX's pocket.

REX sat up and pulled an _Axiom_ communicator out of his pocket. That meant the Captain was calling him.

"What is it?" REX said into the communicator. He sounded irritated, Neon knew it was because he wanted to enjoy their date some more, she was feeling the same.

REX was silent for a few seconds. "Allright, meet you there."

WALL-E and EVE came over in curiosity to see what was going on.

"REX?" WALL-E asked.

"That was McCrea." REX answered. "He said he needs to talk with me."

Neon felt disappointed. She wanted to be with REX more.

REX turned to her and gave her a loving hug. "I'll be back."

REX then got up and made his way to the exit. When a simulation was active, the exit was a silver door that stood out from everything else.

Neon continued to watch the door after REX went through it. She sighed to herself and trailed off. REX was everything to her, and she was everything to him. Neon liked being with him.

"Neon."

Neon turned to see EVE looking at her with a slight reassuring smile. Her lead sister took her hand and pulled her over to WALL-E, who was building something using the simulated sand.

"Help." EVE said before joining WALL-E to help him in his building project.

Neon thought for a moment, then decided to help with their project too. WALL-E started to direct the girls on what to do with the construction.

Neon started carving some of the sand structures using her fingers. A little hobby could take her mind off of REX being away. He _did_ say he was coming back.

There was all the time in the world to be with REX.

* * *

REX made his way to the Lido Deck, partially upset with the urgent call with McCrea.

He was enjoying that time with Neon. He didn't want it to end. That call from McCrea was the last thing he wanted. Just what was it that was so urgent?

As REX got to the Lido Deck, he saw McCrea in the distance conversing with John. He walked up to them, checking to make sure his bonnie hat was strapped securely to the belt strap on his pants. That hat was important because not only was it from General Warren, but it aided him in stealth. In reality, REX's clothes and his mechanical arm could alter their color at his will, but the hat added to the benefit of camouflage. While most of REX's early days of the Control Wars were infantry warfare, he was also engaged in black ops at certain times, and stealth was something he depended on because of that.

REX got to them and shook hands with them. He wasn't in a good mood, so he didn't bother to smile. "What's this about?"

"I was discussing this with John." McCrea replied. "It's about the new ship."

"And why does it concern me?"

"Family safety," said John.

Everyone knew that REX and WALL-E were brothers now. Everyone also knew that EVE and Neon were part of the family too. They were a tight-knit society, so everybody knew everything.

REX perked up. "I'm listening."

McCrea went on. "I talked with the Captain of the _Atlas._ He seemed like a good person, but he said he had an important secret."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. But Auto and I were talking about it. The Captain sounded pretty serious about it."

"Did he say if he was going to tell you?"

"He said he would tell me once they arrived. But his expression showed something."

REX was getting impatient. _Get to the point already._ "Which was?"

"I'm not good at reading faces, but he looked like he wasn't sure about telling the secret."

John jumped in. "We think they may have something dangerous."

"Okay," REX needed to be wary. His family's safety depended on it. "When they arrive, I'll do some surveillance and see what they got in the ship."

"No," McCrea said. "We can't have you getting caught. If you do, then they'll think we don't trust them. We can't afford any bad blood."

"I won't get caught."

That was true. REX was a highly skilled assassin and saboteur thanks to General Warren's training. During his military career, he had sabotaged over 200 Syndicate buildings and taken out numerous key figures of the Syndicate army as quietly as a plague. He could practically be a ghost if he put his skills to their full potential.

"REX," McCrea said. "I'm not taking any chances. Don't do it."

REX grimaced slightly. Even though he was friends with McCrea, he didn't take orders from him. He only took orders from Warren.

But it was unnecessary to start something. "Fine."

"Thanks, REX."

"But I'll stay on alert. Once the Captain gives you the info, you tell me. Allright?"

"Okay."

If anything would threaten REX's family, it became his business. He promised EVE that he would protect her and WALL-E (Neon was no exception) and he would keep that promise. He loved his family.

REX shook hands with John and McCrea, then bid them goodbye. He would look more into the _Atlas_ issue when the ship arrived. REX wouldn't leave things to chance; he had to stay in control. The more he knew, the better he could make a plan.

REX then started to make his way back to the entertainment simulation. Now it was time to get back to his date. WALL-E, EVE, and Neon were sure to be waiting for him.

Along the way, he stopped by the infant center and looked at the small toddlers that wandered the area while being carefully monitored by a NAN-E nursing bot.

One of the small humans came up and looked at him curiously through the glass wall that separated them. REX got down on one knee and looked back at the young one. The kid's eyes were so wide and brightly colored. He giggled at REX and clapped his hands. REX smiled slightly, the kid was sweet.

"It makes you think, doesn't it?"

REX saw in one of his perimeter cameras Mary standing behind him. He already knew what she was getting on.

"About having kids?"

"Yeah."

"But the thing is, we're robots. We can't have kids."

"But still, do you ever think that WALL-E, EVE, or Neon ever want to have kids?"

"I don't know. They don't say anything."

"Would you want to be a father REX?"

REX thought for a moment. Having a kid was something he couldn't train for. It was a "learn as you go" kind of situation, but it was also a big responsibility. General Warren was a father, he knew how it went.

"Maybe, when things slow down."

"So you would be a father?"

"If Neon wants kids, I'll do whatever I can to make it happen. If WALL-E and EVE want kids, same concept."

Mary smiled. "You really care for your family."

REX stood up and turned to her. "More than anything." He said before walking off.

REX wasn't entirely sure about having kids; but if Neon wanted them, he would find a way. If WALL-E and EVE wanted kids, he would find a way. Their opinions mattered more than his.

He continued walking until he got to the entertainment simulators. He scrolled along the chambers until he found the one that WALL-E, EVE, and Neon were in, then he made his way in.

The simulator was still on the beach setting, which meant not much had changed. However, the artificial sunset was coming down in correspondence with the current time: 6:13. There was even a simulated sunset coming into view.

REX walked along the beachhead to where he left the three robots. He noticed a large fort-like structure made completely of sand. He walked over to it and examined it with interest. It had a bit of a military style to its design: five-foot high walls, miniature guard towers on the outside, and even lookout holes in the walls.

REX picked up WALL-E's unique electronic signature coming from within the fort. BnL model robots were made with unique energy signatures for each robot, which affected their performance capabilities (and later, as REX deducted, their personality development). REX had a built-in scanner that allowed him to analyze robotic signatures, and because of that he had the energy signature of every robot he knew memorized for safety precautions.

"This is the BnL military!" REX shouted for fun. "Come out with your hands up!"

WALL-E popped out of the front entrance of the fort and chittered excitedly to REX. He seemed happy that his older brother was back.

"Where are the girls?" REX asked him.

WALL-E just stared at him. REX knew that expression all too well: WALL-E knew where they were, but he wasn't telling.

Soon after, EVE popped out of the sand in a zombie-like fashion. REX was impressed with her hiding skills. She was learning fast.

Then, REX saw in one of his side cameras Neon dashing towards him at full speed. He only had enough time to turn to her before she slammed into him, knocking him on his back.

Neon barraged REX with spark-kisses, keeping a tight grip on his head so he couldn't break out. REX's systems fluctuated from the sparks, but he enjoyed the feeling of it. It was an incredibly pleasant sensation.

After a few seconds, Neon stopped her assault and helped REX up. She giggled madly as REX struggled to regain his senses.

When REX came to, he found WALL-E, EVE, and Neon staring at him curiously. It was obvious they wanted to know about his talk with McCrea.

"McCrea just wanted to tell me about the Captain of the Atlas." REX couldn't bring himself to tell them about the possibly dangerous secret. He didn't want to risk them being in danger. "He said he was a nice person."

The three bots seemed to relax. WALL-E then went up to REX and pulled him into the sand fort. There was nothing inside except for a small tunnel that only WALL-E could fit through.

WALL-E then went into the tunnel and came back out later with two water guns and an inner compartment bulging with water bombs.

"Where did you get those-?"

"WAR!"

REX quickly ducked an incoming water bomb thrown by EVE. WALL-E tossed him a water gun before taking cover at the fort's walls. He unloaded his payload of water bombs onto the ground, then started chucking them at EVE and Neon, who were using several beach chairs cleverly put together to form a barricade as cover. They responded with fire from their own water guns and bombs.

It was a waterfight. Boys against girls.

REX handled his water gun in his right hand like it was his pistol, then started taking precision shots with it while using the fort excessively for cover. It wasn't the same as a combat training mission, but it was fun.

WALL-E continued to toss water bombs while firing his own water gun. REX was amazed at WALL-E's throwing accuracy; he hit EVE perfectly with four water bombs and Neon with three.

EVE and Neon started dashing around the fort with great speed while shooting their water guns and bombs. They were learning to stay mobile during a fight, which made REX proud. The girls certainly caught on to his survival training.

REX fired some water shots of his own while also getting hit from returning fire. His combat instincts weren't really kicking in like they did in a training mission or in a real fight. Since it was just water and not bullets or lasers, it didn't feel the same as a battle.

EVE and Neon dashed behind the beach chairs again and started throwing water bombs in a hailstorm fashion. The fort's walls began to erode from the water and were breaking down.

REX crouched low behind the remaining cover and looked at WALL-E. He worked with his brother quite a bit in the combat simulations. They were actually pretty good at knowing what the other would do without saying anything.

One look at each other and they both knew what their next move would be.

They broke cover. REX dashed out firing his water gun and WALL-E followed close behind firing as well.

They flanked around the chairs, REX took the left flank while WALL-E approached from the right. A flank attack from both sides was a perfect move that could temporarily surprise the enemy and allow themselves open for attack.

But then, as REX and WALL-E came around, EVE and Neon burst out, tackling them. EVE took down WALL-E and dug her fingers into his arm grooves, tickling him. Neon knocked REX on his back and came down on him while poking in the sides with her fingers. REX didn't know he was ticklish, but he found himself laughing uncontrollably as a feeling he never felt before came over him. It was too much.

"Stop, stop! No! Okay, I give, I give!"

REX had no choice but to surrender. The girls had won. He always fought to the death in a battle because General Warren told him surrendering was never an option in a war. But this wasn't a war anymore, and REX was completely at the mercy of his girlfriend.

Neon giggled, but she didn't stop. She kept poking his sides with her fingers to continue the assault. REX swore he was going to die of laughter from the feeling he was getting.

REX gathered what strength he had left, then grabbed Neon and brought her down and pinned her into the sand with his body. He dug his knuckles into her arm slots to tickle her back. Neon laughed uncontrollably and tried to bat away REX's hands, but was too weak as she was laughing so hard.

While keeping Neon pinned down, REX turned to WALL-E and EVE to see something similar: EVE was down in the sand on her front with WALL-E on top of her. He had his treads drilled into EVE's arm slots and was revving them continuously to tickle EVE. EVE was laughing extremely hard. She tried to reach for WALL-E, but between her position and her condition, she had no luck.

REX eventually wore out; he let off of Neon and laid down on a nearby blanket. Neon was finished too, as she put herself on top of REX and rested her head on his chest. WALL-E and EVE finished their battle as well as they fell on the ground, EVE wrapped her arms around WALL-E and held him tight as they laid together.

"Fun." Neon whispered to REX.

"Yeah, that was fun." REX replied.

REX put his mechanical arm around Neon and held her close as they enjoyed the now-approaching sunset. This was truly a great day for him.

WALL-E and EVE then came over and perched themselves next to REX and Neon on a nearby blanket. EVE put her hand in WALL-E's and the two stared at the sunset while leaning their heads together.

REX decided to follow suit. He sat up to gaze at the sunset and Neon positioned herself on his lap and stared too while keeping her arms around his neck.

REX enjoyed his new life. No longer was he suffering from the war. He had been through numerous horrors: bullets ringing out every second, screams of people dying followed by eerie silence, bodies lying around, and the fear of dying any second. No more of that. REX was living the life General Warren always wanted him to have. A real life.

He smiled to himself. He had a brother, he found love, and he lived in a society where everyone got along with each other.

He couldn't ask for more, except maybe to spend more time with General Warren.

* * *

Their first planned date, and it was a spectacular one.

EVE looked at her left hand. The fingers were intertwined and almost covered by WALL-E's large claws. She could never resist being around him. WALL-E was so much to her, she would always be with him.

The simulated sunset cast a beautiful orange glow in the sky. The light from the sun reflected off of the water on the shoreline, glistening a marvelous sparkle.

WALL-E warbled happily to EVE, then played _It Only Takes a Moment_ on his recorder. The sweet music warmed EVE's heart as it played. She loved that song because it always reminded her of how much WALL-E was to her.

She pulled WALL-E in for a gentle hug. Between the beautiful sunset and the soft music playing, EVE's emotional spikes were going nuts. She wanted to always give WALL-E love, it was the only remedy for her emotional spikes.

Neon must've felt something too. EVE could see in her peripheral vision her sister gently dragging her finger down REX's chest affectionately. _One down._ EVE thought humorously to herself. _Three more to go._

"E-vah?"

EVE snapped out of her thoughts at WALL-E's voice. He was looking at her curiously, wanting to tell her something.

"Hmm?"

"Umm . . . EEEVE." WALL-E said with a slight struggle.

EVE was caught off guard. WALL-E finally pronounced her name correctly. Judging from how quickly he said it, he might have been practicing.

But she shook her head at WALL-E. "E-vah."

WALL-E paused for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

Even though that was her name, EVE didn't like how WALL-E said it. It sounded foreign, like it came from somebody else. She didn't like that at all.

EVE liked "E-vah" better. She had grown used to WALL-E calling her by that, so she would stay with him calling her that. To others, it may seem like mispronunciation; but to EVE, it was a familiar call. When WALL-E said her name, it gave her a sense of comfort. She wouldn't have it any other way.

"WALL-E." EVE said to him.

WALL-E diligently looked at her, immediately focusing all of his attention to her. EVE leaned her head into his and closed her eyes. She kept her arms around WALL-E and refused to let go.

"I love you." She whispered to him.

"I . . . love . . . you." WALL-E immediately replied.

EVE liked how that sounded. What she always thought about WALL-E, it took her almost two weeks to finally say it. She couldn't fathom how joyous it felt.

The song continued to play. EVE found herself humming along to the tune and WALL-E doing the same. She was significantly enjoying this moment and could tell WALL-E was too. It was a moment she wanted to enjoy forever.

EVE felt so much joy from being with WALL-E, but having REX and Neon as part of the family was icing on the cake. REX became brothers with WALL-E and was the dedicated protector of the family. Neon joined in because she fell in love with REX and made EVE not feel undermined in a family that was originally made up mostly of boys.

She continued to give her love to WALL-E as the song concluded while also relishing in the love he returned. A long time ago, everyone here didn't have anyone. EVE and Neon wasted their time either dormant in the _Axiom_ hangar or searching for plants on a desolate earth, WALL-E spent his time compacting trash for a useless directive, and REX was stuck in stasis against his own will. They were all alone; no one to talk to, no one to _love._

But now they had each other. A dedicated family of brothers, sisters, and lovers. A true family.

Everything else faded from existence as EVE continued to give WALL-E love. The sweet feel of him in her presence, it was overwhelming.

After what seemed like a long period of time. EVE opened her eyes slightly and saw that it was dark. She checked her clock, 8:29. It was nighttime.

She gently let off of WALL-E and he fell forward on the ground. WALL-E was fast asleep.

"It's cute, isn't it?"

EVE turned to see REX sitting up. Neon was lying down on the blanket they were using, fast asleep. They used their dormant forms when they slept, but it wasn't necessary. They could still sleep even if they weren't in their dormant states.

"Come with me EVE," REX said. "I need to talk with you."

REX got up and walked near the shoreline. EVE followed him curiously. He sounded like it was important. It always troubled EVE when REX was talking about something important, because his military background usually meant something dangerous.

"Remember when I was talking about the Atlas."

"Yes."

"Okay. EVE, this is important. I'm telling you this because you're the most responsible of us. Don't say a word about this to WALL-E or Neon."

"Okay."

"McCrea thinks that the Captain of the Atlas has a secret. Something important."

Again, REX's background had EVE getting an idea. "WALL-E . . . danger?"

"We don't know for sure, but McCrea thinks it may be dangerous. He wants me to be cautious around the _Atlas_ when it arrives."

REX looked at EVE. His expression showed serious concern. "EVE, if it turns out there _is_ something bad, I need you to get WALL-E and find somewhere to hide. I may have trained you to fight, but I don't want any risks. I'll handle everything myself."

"But-"

"EVE, please. Do this for my brother. The one you love."

EVE paused for a moment. She actually had a secret desire to help REX whenever she could because she respected him for his ferocious protective instincts for his family. That was why she wanted to be trained by him. She wanted to have that ferocious instinct that made REX such a violent fighter, but also an excellent protector.

But with all the brawn that REX had, there were also brains. REX was an excellent tactical strategist and always knew what was best. She obeyed his orders unless the risks outweighed them.

She reached a conclusion. "Okay."

"Thanks EVE."

REX turned back to look at the artificial ocean. EVE noticed his face was still in concern. Having known REX for seven days, she knew that when an issue was resolved, he would usually conclude with some joke or snarky comment. But now, he was still silent; something else was on his mind.

"REX?" She asked him.

"N-Nothing. It's nothing."

EVE wasn't backing down that easily. She needed to know everything. "REX . . . tell."

REX sighed in submission. "Allright. Mary came up to me about this earlier and it's been bugging me since. Would you want to have kids with WALL-E?"

EVE stammered in surprise. That was not expected. She did love WALL-E unconditionally, but having kids? It was never something that crossed her mind.

"Now?"

"No, not now. But someday, when things start to slow down, would you?"

"But . . . impossible."

"EVE, yes or no."

EVE pondered for a moment. They say that having children was one part of a relationship and helps bring the couple closer together; and EVE wanted to be as close as possible in her relationship with WALL-E.

So she had her answer. "Yes . . . but . . . how?"

REX smiled slightly. "I'll find a way, EVE. I swear that I'll find a way to make you and WALL-E be able to have children."

EVE believed him. When REX made a promise, he would keep it. REX was a walking one man army, and he was also loyal and caring. He believed in a code of honor, which was to always keep a promise.

But now it was EVE's turn to ask the questions. She pointed to REX, then to Neon. "Kids?"

REX paused for a moment, then dropped his head. "I-I don't know. I wouldn't mind being a father. But the thing is, I'm afraid to ask Neon about it. She might think I'm trying to rush things in our relationship."

EVE felt respect for REX. He admits that he's afraid of certain things. REX said that he was created to be unstoppable, but he also said he wasn't fearless. _Fear isn't something that hinders you, but it makes you prepared._ REX had said that once during their training. It meant that when they were scared, the adrenaline that flows through them makes them ready for whatever happens next. Fear was essentially a weapon.

She put her hand on his shoulder. "REX."

REX slowly looked up at EVE. He actually looked sad. REX wasn't the tough-guy show he was made out to be. He was emotional, and he wasn't afraid to express his feelings. It made EVE respect him all the more.

She pointed to herself. "Talk . . . Neon." She would talk to her sister about the issue.

REX smiled weakly. "Thank you, EVE. I owe you one."

EVE would always help REX whenever she could. Because he cared so much for WALL-E, EVE saw him as her best friend. REX was a fighting machine designed specifically to fight a war, and he devoted all of that combat potential to protecting his family.

But REX falling in love with Neon made EVE respect him even more. REX cared deeply for Neon because he fell for her, and EVE was happy that he found love. It made him just like WALL-E, which further proved they were brothers.

"I think I already can repay you with an observation," REX nudged her playfully with his elbow. "You look a little bulgy around the edges. Are you gaining weight?"

The joke meant REX was resolved with the issue, but it still annoyed EVE. She smacked him in the head with her arm to express her annoyance. While she respected him for his devotion to his family, she still couldn't stand his jokes.

REX rubbed his head and chuckled slightly. Then he looked at WALL-E and Neon, who were still sleeping, and yawned.

"We should be getting to bed. Between the combat training, the party work, and the waterfight, I'm exhausted."

EVE nodded in agreement. She wasn't sure who got the impression that robots couldn't tired, because that was a myth. Robots _could_ get tired, just not as easily as humans. EVE actually felt a little sleepy too.

She went to WALL-E and gently shook him to wake him up. WALL-E was very drowsy. While he stood up like he normally did, his eyes were half-closed and he was moving very slow. His power charge read out with two bars left.

REX went to Neon and woke her up as well. Neon stood up, but showed that she was tired because she kept on raising and lowering sluggishly on her hover systems.

EVE took WALL-E's hand in hers to guide him. She could tell that he wasn't keeping a good grip on her hand. She felt his fingers sliding around loosely in hers.

REX carried Neon in his arms and led the way to the exit. EVE followed behind with WALL-E. She tried to pick up WALL-E to carry him, but he refused her offer. It seemed he was content on moving on his own.

They made their way out of the simulator and ran into two Stewards who seemed to be waiting for them.

"Please come with us," the Stewards said. "We will escort you to your suite."

REX and EVE exchanged confused glances. Then REX shrugged and went with the Stewards. EVE followed suit. They got onto a chair transporter and rode it to the _Axiom_ passenger suites. EVE was lost. Did the Captain arrange a room for them because of the sandstorm? That was most likely the outcome.

They eventually arrived at the passenger suites, which were several floors of doors lining the walls. There were thousands of them, and most were closed because the humans still stayed at the _Axiom._ They weren't having much success building shelters outside. EVE was somewhat doubting the recolonizing efforts, because the humans and robots were making barely any progress in their work.

The transporter stopped at a lift and everyone got off. The robot family followed the Stewards to a lift, which took them four levels up.

They continued on until they got to a door marked "VIP" over it. The Stewards took the flanks of the door and waited.

REX opened the door, then stood back so EVE could go in with WALL-E. He followed her in, Neon had her head resting on his chest as he carried her.

"Enjoy your stay," the Stewards said before taking off.

The room certainly was luxury. There were two beds, a separate kitchen area, and a large holographic TV. The walls had a custom space design with stars and even planets on them.

REX went to one of the beds and unraveled the blanket. He set Neon down gently in the bed and tucked her in with the blanket. Neon smiled and stared at REX lovingly while she laid in the bed.

EVE then went to the other bed and prepared to set it up for her and WALL-E to sleep in. She led WALL-E over to the bed and reached for the sheets.

But WALL-E moved ahead of her and grabbed the sheets to unravel it. He motioned for her to get into the bed while he held the blankets out. EVE smiled and obeyed. WALL-E's caring nature always got to her. She could never resist how charming he was when he was doing nice things for her.

EVE sunk into the bed slightly as she laid in it. The bed was extremely soft and comfortable. Even the pillow felt almost like air on her head.

WALL-E gently tucked the blanket around EVE, then got into the bed himself. He tucked himself underneath the covers, then rested his head on the pillow and gazed at EVE adoringly.

EVE shifted herself in his direction and pressed herself against him. The bed was comfortable, but the feel of WALL-E on her was even better. She wouldn't take anything else.

WALL-E warbled softly to EVE, then tucked his head underneath hers. EVE wondered if he liked sleeping here more than his truck. She didn't care where they slept, just so long as WALL-E was with her.

Before she went in for the night, she looked at the others. REX was already fast asleep in the bed with Neon's head leaning against his. It looked like REX wasn't good with the comfy bed, he was moving quite a bit.

EVE couldn't resist a smile. Weeks before, everyone was alone. But now, they had each other. They were a family; they wouldn't ever be separated.

Their lives couldn't get any better.


	9. Memories and Promises

"C'mon! The extraction point is just a few miles away!"

REX sprinted through the harsh tropical terrain. He kept watch on his perimeter cameras to make sure his squad was following. The terrain was rough to travel on foot, and the nighttime darkness wasn't helping.

"Watchtower, this is Rose team leader." REX said into his integrated comlink. "How's that extraction coming?"

General Warren's voice replied. "Rose leader, this is Watchtower. We have a Nightwing transport making its way to the extraction point. Should be there by the time you do. Call sign: White Eagle."

"Copy that, Watchtower. Over."

"Lieutenant!" It was Specialist McCraw, the radar expert. "We got several bogeys closing down us! We need to move it!"

"Shift it, squad!" REX barked.

REX kept moving. He took in a quick look at a satellite feed on his battle HUD to get an overview of the situation. He found unsatisfactory results. There was over a hundred Syndicate soldiers (and counting) moving in their direction. They didn't look too happy about their factory being destroyed.

A female voice came in on his comlink. "Rose leader, this is White Eagle. I got several enemy fighters on my tail. Gonna be a little late to the extraction, over."

"Late is better than never, Eagle. Get here as soon as you can."

"Copy that."

REX continued to run with his squadmates staying close behind. The extraction marker appeared on his HUD showing that it was just a mile away. They were making good time.

But Eagle was going to be late. When they came up to a large hill with plenty of trees to use for cover, REX ordered the squad to hold.

"Listen up," REX said to them. "Our ride's going to be late to the pickup zone. We're gonna set up a standoff until it arrives. Sanders, Barry, set up sentry emplacements by those trees and take positions. Walker, get on your camosuit and find a sniper position. McCraw, stay on that radar and keep an eye out for our ride."

Private Sanders and PFC Mark Barry immediately went to setting up auto turrets as well as taking firing positions, drawing out their assault rifles. Lance Corporal Brian Walker activated his camouflage suit, which made him nearly invisible, then laid prone in a dense bush with his sniper rifle drawn and ready. Specialist Calvin McCraw sat in a small ditch and took out his portable radar scanner to watch for White Eagle.

REX activated his assault rifle, then crouched behind a tree that his scanner read out as thick enough to withstand bullets. He could feel his adrenaline pumping as he prepared for a fight.

"Talk to me Walker," REX said in anxiety. "What do we got?"

"Looks like standard drones." Walker replied. "Usual rifle kit. Want me to pick off some of them?"

"Wait until we open fire. Use the firefight as a smokescreen."

"Roger."

REX used his enhanced metallic filter. The environment turned a dark purple with metal objects showing as a bright orange. A huge sea of orange appeared in the distance. There were several of them.

REX turned off his filter and zoomed in on the approaching targets. They were standard Syndicate drones, humanoid in design with blood-red eyes and a thick grey paint job. They were carrying standard mid-range rifles, but REX analyzed them and found they were using deep-penetration bullets.

"They got armor piercers! Be on guard!"

The entire squad chorused a response. "Copy!"

REX waited until the drones were within gun range, then he ordered his squad to attack.

"Light 'em up!"

The dark forest lit up with gunfire. REX fired his assault rifle arm, taking precision shots using the aiming reticule in his HUD. Sanders and Barry unloaded with their weapons while also activating the auto sentries. Walker opened up with his sniper, taking few but incredibly accurate shots.

The nearby trees ruptured and burst from the bullets that flew everywhere. The drones returned fire, but their aim wasn't too good. They didn't seem to have accuracy as part of their programming, but they made up for it in numbers.

REX and his squad were the exact opposite. The drones were torn apart from the shots that penetrated their weak armor. Soon enough, the ground was littered with shattered robotic bodies.

"Sir!" McCraw cried out. "We got more enemy reinforcements incoming! A lot of them!"

"White Eagle, where the _hell_ are you!" REX yelled into his comlink. "We're in trouble here!"

"Just took care of the fighters, Rose leader. Give me two minutes to get there. Over."

"Hurry!"

Sanders and Barry started throwing EMP grenades. The grenades erupted with an electric shock that fried any Syndicate drones in the vicinity. Several of them shook violently, then collapsed on the ground.

"Okay squad, listen up." REX said. "Our ride's almost here. Wait for my signal, then hightail it to the pickup zone."

"What's the signal, boss?" Sanders asked.

"When I start blowing them to pieces."

REX waited a few moments for the remaining drones to group together. He activated his missile launcher, then waited for the right opportunity.

_Three . . . two . . . one._

REX launched a volley of missiles into the approaching group. Bright orange fireballs lit up the area with the familiar _boom_ of the missiles exploding. Robotic parts flew through the air with force, the drones were being ripped to pieces.

"Rose team! Move, move, move!"

REX could see in his perimeter cameras his squad getting up and making their way to the extraction point. He fired about four more missiles, then broke his cover and followed them.

"Rose leader, this is White Eagle. The landing zone is getting hot with hostiles. Be ready to bang out once I arrive."

"Solid copy, Eagle. Over."

REX took the lead as they ran to the extraction point. On the way, he used his hacking interface to take manual control of the sentry guns they left behind. The sentry guns' cameras appeared on his HUD and he used them to keep fire on the approaching Syndicate horde to buy the squad time to get to the exfil point. He kept the fire going until the drones got wise and took out the guns, filling the sentry cameras with static.

They kept moving. REX could see the Nightwing extraction chopper coming in. The Nightwing was a sleek, black chopper that resembled a US Osprey helicopter, except it was smaller and used special antigravity technology to fly. It was used solely for Special Forces missions because it was fast, perfect for quick insertions and extractions.

But as REX put his eyes back on the trail, he saw several flashes in front of him. _Gunfire._ There was a hidden Syndicate sentry waiting for them.

The bullets bounced harmlessly off of REX's reinforced skin. He returned fire with his assault rifle and blew the sentry's head into pieces.

"Man down! We got a man down over here!"

REX quickly turned and saw McCraw tending to Sanders, who was down on the ground with blood pouring from his right leg. He was shot.

"Get to the exfil!" REX ordered. "I got him!"

McCraw, Walker, and Barry took off while REX picked up Sanders and followed suit.

Sanders' voice was weak. "Boss . . . I don't think it's good."

"Shut it Private. You're getting out of here alive!"

REX could see the Nightwing landing and opening its rear loading bay. The others quickly scrambled in, then helped REX bring in Sanders.

"Hang on!" The pilot shouted.

REX felt the Nightwing lift up into the air with a quick jerk. He was nearly thrown off balance by the sudden force.

He immediately went to aid Sanders. The onboard medical officer aided REX with bandages. Sanders had a blood-soaked wound in his right leg.

The medic ran a bio-scanner over Sanders' injured leg. "Bullet cut through an artery. We need to stop the bleeding before he loses too much."

"Do what you have to." REX replied.

The medic nodded and started working on the wound with an advanced sticky spray to cover it. Medical technology was very advanced and the trooper death rate had dropped significantly in wartime. But a man could still die from severe blood loss if he didn't get the proper treatment fast enough.

Sanders gripped REX's mechanical hand in a vice-like grip. It scared REX because he felt that kind of grip before: other soldiers he knew had done that kind of grip shortly before they died.

"Sir," Sanders said weakly. "I'm not felling . . . too well."

"You're gonna make it, Tony. Just hang on."

"Boss, you tell my family . . ."

"Don't die on me, soldier."

"Tell them-"

"Don't you _dare_ die on me."

REX ran a bio-scan over Sanders in his HUD. His pulse rate was dropping fast. It was inevitable. Sanders wasn't going to make it.

"REX," Sanders said. "Tell them . . . I love them."

Sanders closed his eyes and his grip went slack.

"TONY!"

* * *

REX woke up from his dream.

He looked around and recalled his current situation: he was in a luxury suite with his girlfriend Neon, his brother WALL-E, and WALL-E's girlfriend EVE. Neon was still fast asleep in the bed with her head turned in the other direction and one arm draped over the blanket. WALL-E and EVE had their blanket covering them completely; REX could only see their bulges from the covers.

REX couldn't believe he had that nightmare: it was about two weeks before he went into stasis. Squad 45 was sent into Madagascar to destroy a Syndicate factory that was producing robotic drones. The mission was a success, but Private Anthony Sanders, REX's best friend, didn't survive the extraction due to excessive blood loss.

But what was worse was that he never told Sanders' family what Sanders wanted him to say. Herald Jastle gave the order to put REX in suspended animation shortly after he returned from the mission. It made REX hate Jastle all the more.

REX got up out of the bed and made for the door. He used his hacking interface to take manual control of the door and opened it slowly and silently so he wouldn't wake the others.

There was something he needed to do.

REX made his way out and closed the door behind him. He walked out of the passenger suites and made his way to the nearest exit hatch out of the _Axiom._

As he got outside, he noticed that the sandstorm had passed. It was very dark however with no moon, so REX had to use his night-vision filter to see in the dark. His clock read out as 1:46.

REX activated the hover systems on his shoes and sped off in the direction of Blackwing HQ. The hover technology he used was the same tech that allowed EVE and Neon to fly. However, his tech was an earlier prototype and only allowed him to hover just a few inches above the ground. They did allow him to "skate" across the ground at high speed, so he used it for mobility and travel.

REX sped through the empty streets on the way to Blackwing HQ. He dodged and weaved gracefully through the debris that lined the streets of the city. He hadn't used his hover boots in a while, but he wasn't rusty with them.

He arrived at the HQ after a few seconds and went inside. REX made his way to the secret elevator and took it down.

"Alpha?" Elise chimed in. "What brings you here at this time?"

"I need to check something Elise." REX replied.

The elevator stopped at the main lobby and REX immediately went for the teleporter.

"Elise," he said. "Take me to the Robotics Division."

"Yes Alpha."

REX was quickly teleported to what was known as the _Robotics Development Sector,_ or simply known as Robotics Division. The sector dealt primarily with creating next-gen robots for the world to handle certain tasks (specifically dangerous jobs). The area consisted of several labs that dealt with different factors for robot creation. REX was actually created here.

He walked by the lab doors until he noticed the one he was looking for: Robotic Anatomy Development. A section where robot inner workings were created.

REX went inside. There were several tables with metallic parts laid about. A large supply management storage unit stood at the farthest wall with a computer screen next to it to issue commands.

REX went over to the computer and started searching through its databases. He needed to know if the staff developed what he needed.

"What do you require, Alpha?" Elise asked. There was no privacy in Blackwing HQ thanks to Elise. REX was actually glad that the AI wasn't sentient. He wouldn't be able to keep secrets if she was.

"Elise, has there been any development for robot reproduction systems?"

"Yes. Production was completed in 2100."

"What?"

"A universal robotic reproduction organ was created by request of Gerald Warren. After the abandonment of earth, I have since mass-produced these parts throughout the years. Corresponding parts exist for males and females."

REX was surprised. General Warren requested the creation of reproduction parts in Blackwing. But why? Did he want REX to find someone and have kids? Did he expect REX to find a relationship like he did now?

But REX was primarily curious. "How do the systems work?"

"Every robot has a unique energy signature." Elise explained. "What these reproduction systems accomplish is merging the energy signatures of the male and female to create a completely new one. After the signature is thoroughly analyzed, robot schematics are created to make a robot child."

"And the development of the child?"

"The robot will have to undergo continuous upgrades until it reaches simulated adulthood. The process takes ten years."

Elise didn't say _expected_ about the growth process. That caught REX's attention."

"You were specific on the growth process, Elise. These organs actually work?"

"Yes Alpha. Numerous tests were conducted on various robots and all have shown success. New robots were produced and have shown excellent growth development."

REX actually felt relieved. He could be a father if Neon wanted kids. WALL-E and EVE could be parents. They could all have children.

"Would you like to have the organs integrated into some certain bots, Alpha?" Elise asked.

"No, not now." REX replied. Only when WALL-E, EVE, and Neon wanted kids would he allow the integration. "Keep the parts in storage until I say otherwise."

"Of course."

REX looked at the ground and chuckled lightly to himself. General Warren was serious about giving him a normal life. He said once that REX was robbed of the life he was supposed to have, so he would help him get it back. He went to great lengths to do that, and that made REX unquestionably loyal to him. He saw Warren as his _father._

"Alpha," Elise said. "General Warren also left a message for you with the production request."

"What is it?"

"Find a good girl, raise a family. You deserve that much REX."

REX was happy. He couldn't even imagine how much Warren cared for him. That man had protected him from negligence by Blackwing officials, taught him how to survive, and tried to give him the life he so rightfully deserved.

And REX found that life. With his brother WALL-E, his close friend EVE, and his love Neon. He had a family and he was happy. The life he needed was given to him.

"Thank you Elise." REX said. "Tell Warren that his mission is complete."

"But Warren is long since passed away."

"I know him too well. Even death won't stop him from reaching me."

"As you wish, Alpha."

REX made his way back to the exit teleporter and took it back to the main lobby. Soon after, he took the elevator back to the surface and started to make his way back to the _Axiom._

But along the way, REX saw WALL-E's truck in the distance. For reasons he couldn't understand, he started making his way there. He came up to the truck and pulled the side lever to lower the ramp. He went inside and started browsing through his brother's collection of trinkets.

Hal came up to REX and chirped for a snack. REX kindly grabbed a small cake and set it on Hal's eating tray. The cockroach skittered towards the treat and happily vanished inside it.

REX looked around the truck. The hole in the roof was now repaired thanks to an _Axiom_ welder bot named BURN-E. EVE was happy to have that issue resolved; REX knew that it reminded her of WALL-E's near-death experience.

REX then set up the VCR and started to play _Hello Dolly_ out of sheer impulse. He was actually starting to take a liking to that movie. It was kind of entertaining.

REX then found something interesting in a far corner tucked under an old football helmet: a square-shaped CPU chip that had a few holes burned into it. It was WALL-E's old CPU chip that was fried by Auto's tazer. EVE must've hidden it a long time ago, because it was covered in dust.

He scanned the chip and found faint traces of memory left inside. REX often wondered how WALL-E got his memory back when EVE gave him a new chip. He knew that it had something to do with a spark-kiss from EVE, but how exactly?

REX inserted the chip into an adjustable port in his arm and accessed the memory bits. Small video images appeared on his HUD. He was watching WALL-E's memories from his perspective.

_WALL-E was putting away some newly collected trinkets. There was no sign of EVE, so this must've taken place before they met. WALL-E then stopped to view It Only Takes a Moment. He saw the two characters holding hands and looking very happy. WALL-E put his hands together and watched the rest of the movie, pondering what holding hands meant._

_WALL-E was showing EVE some of his trinkets after they escaped a sandstorm. When he gave her a lighter, they both stared at the small flame with interest. WALL-E then tried to reach for EVE's hand, but she glared at him and pulled away._

_WALL-E and EVE were hiding from Stewards behind a towel rack. WALL-E played It Only Takes a Moment on his recorder and held his hand in EVE's direction, but she quickly turned off the recorder and pushed his hand away._

REX was actually crying. His brother learned about love from watching the characters holding hands. When WALL-E met EVE, all that he wanted to do was hold her hand. It was his way of saying he loved her.

REX took out the chip and placed it on top of the VCR. He would use that chip as a reminder of why he would protect his family: he loved them.

But then he took notice of the _It Only Takes a Moment_ scene playing on _Hello Dolly._ The two characters caught his interest.

REX saw the characters holding each other's hands while also singing the song. REX put his hands together out of curiosity. It was unusual because his left hand was silver and mechanical and his right was more human-like.

Now he saw it clearly. It was telling REX how much love could be by just holding hands. Now, he found himself wanting to be with Neon, wanting to hold her hand. He wanted to feel what WALL-E feels when he holds EVE's hand.

"REX."

REX turned to see Neon floating at the entrance. The green-eyed probe hovered up to him and put her hand in his mechanical one. It made REX feel very happy.

"I always thought of WALL-E as strong." REX said. "Now I know that I wasn't wrong. WALL-E found love in EVE and cared for her. All that he wanted in return was _just_ to hold her hand."

Neon smiled and gently stroked REX's head with her free hand. She tightened her fingers slightly in his. REX only gripped tight enough so his fingers wouldn't slip out.

"He loved her." REX said, crying slightly. "He loved her."

They always thought that REX was cold and emotionless back in his military career. They were wrong. REX actually felt emotions because General Warren taught him how to _live._ A personality gave REX a purpose, but it also became a curse.

Because REX was aware, he suffered in the Control Wars from loss and pain. He had seen other soldiers die right in front of his eyes. Some of those soldiers he was close with and were just taken from him as quick as a flash. He experienced the pain of death.

And WALL-E was the same. WALL-E had thousands of brethren counterparts, but throughout time, they began to break down and stop working. WALL-E then spent the rest of his time alone. He didn't have a General Warren or a group of friends like REX did. He experienced loss and had to go through it _alone._

That was why WALL-E _had_ to be REX's brother. REX needed to be there for him, to give him support. God knows what would've happened if WALL-E had never met anyone. He could've gone insane.

But it wasn't just brotherhood, it was also love the two brothers needed. They needed someone to love, someone to take away the pain, and EVE and Neon were just those two. When REX was around Neon, the pain was gone. All he felt was joy and bliss, and he knew that WALL-E felt the same when he was with EVE.

The song was coming to an end. REX and Neon leaned their heads towards each other until they hit with a faint _thunk._ REX closed his eyes and took in the sweet, sweet fell of his beloved's presence. It was love that took away the pain. It was love that took away WALL-E's pain.

And that's what made them a family. They were different, but love brought them together.


	10. Motives

"Fifty feet, that's two points."

WALL-E felt a sense of accomplishment-and confusion. He smacked the large rubber ball with his hand and sent it flying towards REX.

They were on the Lido Deck playing with a rubber ball and slamming it all over the place. REX, EVE, Neon, McCrea, the sisters, and the rogues were playing as well. Although WALL-E couldn't understand the game, as REX was shouting all sorts of bizarre rules. It seemed like he was making them up as he went along.

REX bounced the ball against his chest, then kept it up in the air by bouncing it on his feet like a hacky sack. He kept his momentum going for a short time before he knocked it high into the air with an impressive flip kick.

"I take top score with seven points!" REX shouted enthusiastically. Whenever REX was in a good mood, the things he would say were unpredictable. WALL-E often wondered what REX did to keep himself occupied when he had breaks during his military career. "King me!"

"What are we even playing?" McCrea asked.

"I don't know."

WALL-E saw M-O dart underneath the ball to try and catch it. The ball landed on M-O's head with a hard _thump_ and the impact knocked him off balance.

"Way to use your head." REX joked.

WALL-E rolled up to the ball and bounced it a few times on his treads like REX did. He kept it going until EVE gave him a surprise spark-kiss, making him stutter and drop the ball.

"Foul play!" REX yelled. "Illegal use of affection!"

WALL-E came back to his senses after a brief moment, only to find himself being carried by EVE. She held him tight in a hug and wasn't willing to let go. She was more interested in him than the game.

"That's why the girls shouldn't play this game," REX said while laughing hysterically. "They cheat."

"You don't even know the game we're playing!" McCrea jumped in. "What's cheating and what isn't?"

REX didn't answer, but instead picked up the ball and tossed it to Neon, who caught it and rolled it on her arms like a basketball player.

Neon then suddenly dropped the ball and dashed towards REX. She tackled him and pinned him into the ground, giving him a large spark-kiss. WALL-E laughed uncontrollably. Even though he didn't understand the game, he was having fun. Everyone was having fun, it was a great time.

REX eventually got up and let Neon give him a tight hug. WALL-E liked how his brother always wanted everyone to have a good time. It showed that he cared for them.

When EVE eventually released WALL-E, he went up to REX and gave him a playful push. REX gently eased Neon off of him, then gave WALL-E a smirking glare.

"You're on." He said before tackling WALL-E.

WALL-E scrambled furiously to pin REX down by the arms. It was a friendly game of wrestling involving the brothers. Of course REX could win, but he always held back, giving WALL-E a chance to win sometimes.

Everyone watched as the brothers battled aggressively, but playfully. EVE and her sisters laughed while McCrea and the rogues started taking sides and rooting for certain bots. REX was faster and stronger, but WALL-E's smaller shape gave him a slippery advantage. He slid out of an arm lock REX put him in and bent REX's arm backwards. REX struggled for a moment, then gave in. He tapped the ground twice to show he was giving up.

"WALL-E wins," McCrea said as WALL-E released REX from his hold. "You better step it up, army boy."

REX gave McCrea a grin of amused annoyance. "You want some? I won't hold back."

"I'd prefer not to have my arms broken, thank you very much."

Everyone laughed. It was a great time. WALL-E couldn't even comprehend how much better his life had improved. It was already great when EVE came along. Now with REX joining the fray, WALL-E's life was like a dream; it was just way too good.

McCrea then checked his watch. "Hey, we gotta go. The _Atlas_ is due to arrive any minute."

WALL-E jumped in realization. Today was the day that the new ship is supposed to come. They were going to meet some new people.

REX got up from the ground. "Well what are we standing around for? Let's get going."

The group soon got set and started making their way out of the _Axiom_ and to the landing zone. REX and McCrea took the lead, talking in low voices about something most likely important. EVE and the sisters surrounded WALL-E as they followed behind, it seemed they were being protective of him. The rogues followed in the rear and made their random sounds for reasons WALL-E didn't know.

Along the way, WALL-E turned to EVE and noticed that she wasn't looking too good. Something was bugging her.

"E-vah?" WALL-E voiced in concern.

EVE turned to WALL-E and smiled. "Nothing," she said in a quick and anxious tone.

WALL-E wasn't buying it. He kept staring at her to get her to talk. There was something bothering EVE, but she didn't want to say.

EVE tried to give a cute smile to make WALL-E take his thoughts off the issue. In any other situation, it would've worked. But if there was a problem involving EVE, WALL-E wouldn't be phased. He wanted to make sure EVE was never troubled, he always wanted to help.

"E-vah," WALL-E said sternly. "Please."

EVE eventually dropped her eyes in submission. "REX . . . said . . . secret."

WALL-E cocked his head in interest. It must've been something important. REX was military and EVE was the most responsible. If his brother told her a secret, it _had_ to be important.

EVE pressed on. "Can't say . . . sorry."

WALL-E already trusted EVE on the secret. REX and EVE were smart, which made them the leaders of the family. They always knew what to do.

"Okay." He said in an apologetic tone. He took her hand and gave her a loving stare to comfort her. EVE giggled and stared back in response. They kept staring at each other until Neon gave them a light push because they were slowing down.

They eventually arrived at the landing zone to find several other humans and robots waiting there. It looked like the whole colony was waiting for the new arrival.

McCrea led the group to an open area at the bottom of the nearest loading ramp. While everyone settled, he pulled out a cup and started drinking out of it.

"What are you drinking? REX asked.

"Roast beef in a cup," McCrea replied. "My personal favorite."

REX convulsed a little and gave McCrea a sickening look. He didn't look very well. "That is what future technology gives us? Processing food into liquid?"

"What? It was our only food back when the _Axiom_ was still in space."

"I can't eat or drink, but even I don't think that's appetizing."

McCrea laughed slightly while continuing with his drink. WALL-E didn't understand the concept of food, but since it had no importance to his life, he could care less.

REX then put on his bonnie hat and took a seat at one of the tables that were set up for the new ship's arrival. Despite being told to stop working to make a party, WALL-E, EVE, the sisters, and the rogues went ahead with setting up chairs and tables yesterday. They liked parties so much that they had to disobey the Captain.

"When is the Atlas scheduled to arrive?" REX asked.

"About twenty minutes," McCrea replied. "Or at least that's what Auto told me."

"Well, got some time to kill," REX turned to Neon and smiled. "No hurry or anything."

Neon giggled and went over to REX. She hugged him gently and nuzzled her head against his. REX kept one arm around her waist and held her hand with the other one.

WALL-E got the same idea. He turned to EVE and gave her a loving stare. EVE responded by picking him up and giving him an affectionate hug. WALL-E embraced EVE's love as she gave it to him. But then, he found himself being quickly snatched away by Angel.

"Keep away!" Angel shouted in a playful tone.

WALL-E found himself being zipped away by Angel as EVE was giving chase. When she came close, Angel tossed WALL-E over to Vi, who then started to dash away. EVE got furious, then made a dash for Vi. Except when she nearly caught Vi, WALL-E was tossed to Izzy and zipped away again, making EVE pout in frustration.

The sisters were always playful. They liked to play games with WALL-E and EVE whether they wanted to or not. Sometimes WALL-E liked their playful antics, other times they annoyed him.

The girls continued their game of keep away from EVE until Vi tossed WALL-E and he ended up being caught by REX. REX didn't run away, but instead handed WALL-E to EVE, who hugged WALL-E tight and shot her sisters an annoyed glare.

"Let's stop the game before EVE loses her mind," REX said to them. "You all know how short-tempered she is."

The three probes gave disappointed looks, but nodded in submission before going to the paintings they made a few days ago and admiring them. EVE made a slight growl at REX for the joke he made since she couldn't hit him with WALL-E in her arms.

EVE then resorted back to her affectionate state by giving WALL-E a spark-kiss in addition to slight nuzzling. WALL-E could never understand why EVE would give him affection at random occasions, but he didn't care either. He enjoyed her love.

WALL-E continued to enjoy EVE's affection as they waited for the new ship to arrive. Like REX said, no hurry or anything. If the ship was late, then it was no big deal.

"Here it comes!" Someone shouted.

WALL-E looked up to see a ship similar in shape to the _Axiom,_ but much bigger in size. The ship lowered from the skies as it made its way to the landing platform, casting an incredibly large shadow over the landscape and the waiting colony, further demonstrating its incredible size.

REX and McCrea went to the bottom of the docking ramp and waited there. They both had tense facial expressions, which meant they had something important on their minds.

WALL-E saw EVE's sisters take off into the sky and beginning to fly around the ship as it landed. It seemed that they wanted to look around the ship's exterior in curiosity.

No sooner did WALL-E find himself being lifted by EVE as she flew into the sky with her sisters. He took in the rush of air blowing into his face as EVE flew through the air. He could understand why EVE liked flying so much because he experienced it during their space dance. It was really fun.

As EVE came around they ship so they could view it, WALL-E looked into the giant viewscreens to see several, strangely skinny, humans inside walking around. They didn't wear those red jumpsuits like the _Axiom_ passengers; instead they had on different assortments of clothes. Some were even wearing lab coats and labor uniforms.

Nevertheless, WALL-E waved to them to be friendly. Some of the humans waved back and smiled while others didn't seem to take notice.

When the ship landed, EVE flew back down to the rest with WALL-E and they waited for the ship's passengers to come out. WALL-E felt slightly excited. He was about to meet new people. He knew from experience that meeting new people made things better in his life. Meeting new people gave him EVE, REX, Neon, and many others.

At the top of the ramp, WALL-E could see several humans walking towards them. At the front was a man wearing a captain's uniform like McCrea, except it was a thick black color with small patches of red.

The humans came down and started greeting everyone with handshakes and friendly hellos. The black-uniformed Captain went up to McCrea and they exchanged smiles and handshakes.

"Nice to meet you in the flesh, Ben." The Captain said.

"Good to see you too." McCrea replied.

"I see that you weren't lying about the earth being in bad shape. We've been away for a long time."

"No kidding. We're having a tough time establishing a colony here. Labor progress is slow and the _Axiom_ technology wasn't really built to handle this kind of problem."

"Not to worry. The _Atlas_ crew had prepared for this. We have all sorts of equipment specially tailored to dealing with this kind of work."

"Thanks. I owe you big time."

The Captain chuckled, then looked at REX with interest. He walked up to him. "I couldn't help but notice the lieutenant's insignia. Military?"

"Ex-Special Forces." REX held out his mechanical hand. "Name's REX."

"Jasper Talon. Captain of the _Atlas._ "

The two shook hands. REX gave a slight grin, which must've meant he was comfortable with Talon, making WALL-E relax slightly. He usually needed to get his brother's opinion of someone before he could get to know him. REX would be able to tell whether someone would make a good friend, or a possible threat.

Talon moved on. "I have to ask Ben, how did you end up bypassing A113 and returning to earth?"

"It's not my doing actually," McCrea turned to WALL-E. "It's his."

WALL-E lowered his head in embarrassment as Talon looked at him. He was usually shy around new people. EVE's sense of confidence didn't completely influence him yet.

"So this WALL-E bot brought the _Axiom_ back to earth?"

"He brought a surviving plant specimen to the ship." McCrea said. "Except he didn't do it intentionally."

"Sorry?"

WALL-E then waved for Talon's attention. When he did so, WALL-E pointed to EVE, who giggled slightly.

"E-vah." WALL-E said proudly.

"An EVE probe?"

"WALL-E fell in love with her," REX said. "When she was recalled to the _Axiom_ shortly after they met, he followed her back to the ship. He just wanted to be with her."

EVE came over and picked up WALL-E in an affectionate hug. WALL-E thought she was doing that to show Talon their relationship. Then again, she gave him hugs a lot.

"That is . . . surprising." Talon said. "A robot falling in love. I've never seen anything like that."

"Yeah," REX said with a grin. "My little brother's full of surprised."

"He's your brother?"

"Yup."

Talon then took off his captain's hat and wiped his forehead. It seemed that everything he was told was too much for him to handle.

He went up to WALL-E and got down on one knee to level with him. He extended his hand, which WALL-E took in his and they shook firmly.

"I've never met anyone like you, WALL-E. It's an honor."

WALL-E whistled in gratitude to Talon. This man was strange, but he was kind. Maybe he could get along with him.

McCrea then cut in. "Would you like to see the plant that brought us home, Jasper?"

"Sure."

McCrea and Talon walked off towards a nearby clearing. The rest of the group followed the two captains while the remainder of the colony stayed behind and conversed with the _Atlas_ passengers.

Soon after, they found a small collection of green plants on the ground. WALL-E buzzed happily to see something familiar again. The plant was the start of his big adventure, but it played an important role in bringing EVE into his life. The plant helped them come together.

WALL-E turned to EVE out of instinct, but her saddened look immediately upset him. She was bothered.

"E-vah?"

"Bad . . . memories."

WALL-E caught on. EVE was remembering the _bad_ memories. She was remembering what had nearly happened to him.

He immediately hugged her to give her comfort. It pained WALL-E to see EVE in such a bad state. He knew how bad the pain of loss was and he never wanted EVE to suffer like that.

"E-vah," he said. "Over."

REX and Neon then came over. They must've taken notice of EVE having a bad moment. Neon aided WALL-E with the hug while REX patted her on the back.

"No more." Neon said.

"EVE," REX joined in. "That's all in the past. You have WALL-E now. He's not leaving you no matter what."

WALL-E took that to heart. _Leaving EVE._ He couldn't even process the thought. She was everything to him. He would stay with her _forever._

Soon enough, EVE went back into a smile. Neon let her go and she immediately hugged WALL-E extremely tight. She was feeling better now.

"My . . . WALL-E." EVE whispered to him.

"E-vah," WALL-E said back. "WALL-E . . . yours . . . for-evur."

EVE made a loving sigh, then gave WALL-E a tender and long-lasting spark-kiss. WALL-E lost his focus and his balance, but he couldn't fall over because EVE wouldn't let him go. EVE was having another one of her emotional fits, in which she wouldn't stop giving WALL-E love until the fit was over. WALL-E never complained and submitted to her affection without hesitation. Whatever made her happy, he would do it.

When WALL-E came back into reality, he noticed Talon and McCrea watching them curiously.

"What was bothering her?" Talon asked.

"WALL-E had some bad experiences in the past." McCrea answered. "He was nearly killed."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright," REX said. "My brother's as tough as they come. But he won't go through anything like that again."

"You'll protect him?"

"That's right."

WALL-E shut out the rest of the conversation and stared at EVE in adoration. She was smiling and staring back at him. That made WALL-E feel a whole lot better.

EVE then leaned her head into WALL-E's and started humming _It Only Takes a Moment._ WALL-E played the song on his recorder, then started humming it with her. They both knew that song by heart. While they couldn't say the words, they could hum to it in perfect pitch.

Except EVE's voice sounded so soothing when she sung to it. WALL-E almost stopped his humming so he could listen to her magnificent voice. It was just so beautiful to hear.

After a short moment, the song ended. WALL-E and EVE parted head contact, but still held onto each other. EVE smiled and gave WALL-E another spark-kiss.

"I love you." EVE said to him.

"I . . . love . . . you." WALL-E replied.

They always had moments like these, but WALL-E always made the most of them. He loved EVE unconditionally. She was the only thing that mattered to him.

They stared at each other for a long period. Everything else was blocked out as WALL-E only focused on gazing at the one he loved. EVE gazed back at him with the same look of love.

WALL-E kept gazing at EVE until someone shouting snapped him out of his trance.

"What is this?"

WALL-E turned to see a young blonde-haired man in a labcoat looking at the plants. He looked angry, which WALL-E didn't understand.

"This is what we're depending our lives on?" The man said. "Pathetic! It's a waste!"

The man started stomping on the plants with his foot. WALL-E shrieked, then immediately went up to the man and waved for him to stop.

But the man looked at WALL-E with a scowl. It scared WALL-E, causing him to box up. "You don't give me orders, machine! I'm the human! I give the orders!"

WALL-E was terrified now. The man looked very violent, and the rage was centered on him.

"Keller!" Talon shouted. "Enough!"

But Keller didn't listen. He went up to WALL-E and kicked him, causing him to fall over. "I oughta dismantle you for defying me, you worthless pile of junk!"

"GO AWAY!"

EVE suddenly dashed up to Keller and swung _hard_ at his face with her arm. The blow impacted with a loud _thwack_ and knocked Keller down to the ground. EVE's facial expression showed complete rage, with the addition of slight twitching in her right arm.

Keller then shot EVE an angry glare. He got back up and started to approach her, his hand going for something in his coat.

"How _dare_ you strike me!" Keller shouted. "You will pay for that!"

He pulled out a small object with electricity coming out the end. A tazer. WALL-E was starting to get sick of tazers now.

"This will take care of you, you little-"

But before Keller could finish his sentence, REX suddenly dashed up to him and knocked the tazer away followed by delivering a swift punch to his face, knocking him to the ground.

"Leave my family alone!" REX barked. His eyes were turning red again, signifying that he was enraged.

Keller looked up at REX, still angry. He got up and put himself in REX's face. It looked like the two were ready to fight.

"What makes you think I'll take orders from you?" Keller hissed. "You're the machine! I'm the human! I'm your superior!"

REX then punched Keller in the gut, followed by grabbing his collar and throwing him several feet away.

"I don't give a damn what you are!" REX yelled. "I take orders from _no one!_ "

WALL-E soon found himself being lifted by EVE into a tight hug. She was glaring at Keller while holding him close. It seemed that she was taking on REX's violent attitude.

Keller was down on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain while still glaring at REX. "You will regret this, machine."

REX walked up to Keller and pressed his foot on Keller's leg. He pressed so hard that an audible _snap_ of bone cracking sounded, making Keller yell in pain.

REX then brought out his pistol and centered it on Keller's face. "Make my day, meatsack. Give me an excuse."

Keller stared wide-eyed at the pistol, then dropped his head in submission. WALL-E knew from the start that he had no chance against REX. His brother was _lethal._

Two black-colored Stewards came out of the _Atlas_ and picked up Keller in a tractor beam. Talon glared at Keller as he was being taken to the ship.

"We'll talk more about this later." Talon said to him.

Everyone was quiet as Keller was being taken away, then Talon sighed in irritation. "I'm sorry. That was my chief technician, Rim Keller. He still believes in human supremacy."

"Just make sure he doesn't come _near_ my family," REX growled. "Or he won't be breathing anymore."

WALL-E felt EVE holding him tighter. She was extremely agitated; so was he.

WALL-E tucked his head underneath EVE's to comfort not only her, but also himself. They both knew that being with each other was the best remedy for agitation; and right now, they were both stressed out.

"Jasper," McCrea said. "Why don't we talk more at the _Axiom._ They need to be alone right now."

"Okay, Ben."

REX, Neon, the sisters, and rogues all came up to WALL-E and EVE with concerned faces. They always cared for the two. Everyone had a good reason for why they looked out for the robot couple.

"You two okay?" REX asked.

EVE didn't answer. Instead, she buried her face into WALL-E's neck and started crying.

"Not again," he heard her say. "Please."

It was just hearing her plead that tore him inside. WALL-E hated it when EVE was upset, but hearing her begging not to lose him, it felt worse than being shocked repeatedly by Auto's tazer. He knew what the pain of loss felt, and thinking of EVE losing him reminded WALL-E of losing all of his brothers, and it was making the pain build up inside.

Then, for the first time ever, WALL-E started crying. Years of suppressed pain and suffering released from his system as EVE's sobbing broke his limit. He couldn't hold it anymore; EVE's pain became his pain. He cried as loud as he could and held his love tight.

Immediately, everyone went in for a group hug to comfort the two. WALL-E felt a slight sense of relief, but so long as EVE was crying, he would cry too. He wanted to share her pain, he wanted her to know he was there for her.

The two kept crying together. WALL-E kept a tight grip on EVE and she kept a tight grip on him. WALL-E was glad that the first time he cried, it was with his love. He didn't want to be away from her, _ever._

Then, WALL-E heard _It Only Takes a Moment_ playing. It wasn't coming from his recorder, but from REX's mechanical arm. His brother had his own recorder, and that song was on it.

The others pitched in on the song. The sisters hummed the song while the rogues used beeps and buzzes to match the song's pitch. It was a beautiful chorus of robots.

WALL-E started to feel better from the song. He slowed down his crying, and EVE did too. The music played by their friends soothed their minds. He was feeling happy now.

EVE lifted her head out of WALL-E's neck and made a tearful smile. She was better now, which soothed WALL-E's heart even more.

The others then parted the group hug so that WALL-E and EVE could embrace each other in love. They still kept singing, which helped make WALL-E feel better.

As the robot group came to the ending of the song, WALL-E and EVE leaned their heads together. Neither of them said a thing, because the song was already speaking their minds.

WALL-E felt an overwhelming surge of happiness. Being in the presence of the one he loved so much was all he wanted, but he had more: he had a brother who loyally protected him and countless numbers of friends. His life was better than a dream, it was too good to describe.

The two then parted head contact and stared at each other for a long period before turning to the others. Everyone watched them diligently.

"What do you want to do now?" REX asked. "Just say the word."

WALL-E turned back to EVE and hugged her tight. He didn't care what they would do now, he just wanted to be with EVE.

"E-vah," WALL-E said to her. "Choose."

EVE nodded, then looked at their groups of friends and family with a smile.

"Relaxing." She said.

"Lead the way, ma'am." REX said with a tone of obedience, like a soldier acknowledging orders.

"Follow." The sisters chorused.

WALL-E and EVE then parted their hug and went in the direction of the _Axiom_ holding hands. The others followed behind. WALL-E felt much happier than before. His life had ups and downs, but now, no more downs. Only ups.

* * *

McCrea led Talon up to the captain's quarters of the _Axiom._ When they arrived, Auto had a small table with two drinks set up.

"Please take a seat, Captains." Auto said.

"Thank you, Auto." McCrea replied.

The two captains took their seats in the two hoverchairs being used for the occasion. McCrea took a small drink of the red liquid in his cup and immediately realized that it was champagne.

"Luxury treatment." Talon said while swirling his drink and staring at it in interest. "It's been a while."

"You don't have any luxury on the _Atlas_?"

"We do, we just don't rely on it too much. We spend most of our time working; developing skills so we can properly establish a colony when we return."

"Guess that explains the physical fitness."

Talon laughed slightly. "Yeah, it certainly would."

"Excuse me Captains," Auto spoke. "But I must speak with Epsilon."

"Go right ahead, Auto." McCrea responded.

Auto then vanished up into the ceiling to the pilot's room, leaving the two captains together.

"Epsilon said Auto was persistent with supporting A113." Talon said. "What happened?"

"We had to shut him down at one point so we could return to earth." McCrea answered. "He didn't accept the plant as proof that A113 was false at the time."

"I'm assuming things went downhill because of that."

"Auto nearly killed WALL-E and staged a mutiny against me."

Talon choked on his drink when McCrea said that last bit. Champagne spilled on the table, causing a red-colored stain to appear. "What?"

"Yeah, Auto took things too far. But you know what? I wouldn't have cared if we returned to earth now. WALL-E could've stayed on the _Axiom_ for all I care."

Talon looked at McCrea in shock. "What do you mean, Ben?"

"WALL-E came to the _Axiom_ with the plant, but he didn't know its purpose. And you know what? He didn't care! WALL-E only wanted to be with EVE. He didn't know what was going on, he was confused and lost."

McCrea was starting to feel angry. He was clutching his drink tighter than he needed to. Now he understood why REX nearly killed Auto in rage: WALL-E didn't deserve to suffer what he did in the past. _He did nothing wrong._

"And what happens to him? He nearly loses his own life! WALL-E didn't need to be involved in _my_ problems, _my_ duties! And he nearly died because of that! I was responsible for nearly killing him, _I nearly killed him!_ "

McCrea then slammed his drink onto the table in anger. Champagne spilled on his uniform, making red splotches form. He took no notice of it.

"Ben," Talon said. "Calm down. He's not dead. He's alive."

"You know what? If WALL-E had come without the plant, it wouldn't have mattered. WALL-E was caring, good-natured, and friendly. I was like that when I became the Captain of the _Axiom._ I've had this thought going in the back of my head before: WALL-E . . . he's like a son to me."

Talon got up and put his hand on McCrea's shoulder reassuringly. McCrea was shocked at himself. He was becoming like REX now. He was angry for what had happened to WALL-E.

"Ben," Talon said softly. "What does WALL-E have now?"

"He has EVE now because she loves him too." McCrea said. "But that's not all. He became REX's brother, who also protects him with his life. Not to mention everyone here on the _Axiom_ respects WALL-E. He's a hero to them."

"And Auto?"

"Auto saw the mistakes he made. He wants to make things right with WALL-E." McCrea made a weak chuckle. "Auto spoils WALL-E now. He's spent the last week treating WALL-E with everything the _Axiom_ has to offer. Two days ago, he gave WALL-E the VIP luxury suite for life."

"WALL-E has a better life now. Remember that."

"Yeah, I should. Thanks Jasper."

Talon then ushered McCrea out of his seat and to the viewport screen that oversees the Lido Deck. McCrea looked down and saw a pleasing sight: WALL-E, EVE, the sisters, and the rogues were playing a game of tag on the Deck while REX seemed to be watching with no interest of playing. Everyone was happy. It made McCrea smile.

"Look at them," Talon said. "Enjoying their lives. Because they're robots, they take nothing for granted. They enjoy the little things."

"We can all learn from them." McCrea replied.

"Yeah, Keller just hasn't gotten that through his thick skull."

"Don't doubt what REX said. He _will_ kill Keller if he provokes him."

"Wouldn't think of it."

McCrea turned back around to see a new table cloth on the table with two fresh drinks as well as some _real_ food: beef and cheese hamburgers, a meal that was favored by the first Captain of the _Axiom._

McCrea and Talon sat down in their seats and started to munch on their food. It tasted very different from the food cups, but it was very satisfying.

"Never had real food in a long time." Talon said as he chewed on his burger. "Really good."

"Yeah, same here."

McCrea spent some time enjoying his meal, then he decided to speak. "Jasper, you said you had a secret. I need to know."

Talon swallowed his food, then set the leftovers down on the plate. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Please. If it's something dangerous, REX will have a fit. He's military, but he wants to leave the fighting behind."

Talon sighed, then looked at McCrea with a frown. "It's not very pleasant, because it _is_ dangerous."

"What is it?"

"Have you heard of the ancient war that erupted in 2088?"

"Yes."

"Well, we have the leader of the terrorist organization, the Syndicate. And he's alive, in cryogenic storage."

McCrea's gut churned. "You can't be serious."

"We only know him as the Prophet. But I know of his nature, I'm making sure he won't come out of cryo-sleep."

"This is not good."

"Why? He's not coming out."

"It's not me, it's REX. He fought in the Control Wars. He fought against the Syndicate."

"Oh no."

"And he has a family. He loves WALL-E and EVE. He even fell in love with one of EVE's sisters. Do you even realize how high the stakes are?"

"I already saw REX's anger up close."

"It's his anger that worries me. After that fight with Keller, I was surprised that he didn't pull the trigger. If he finds out about this, who knows what will happen."

"What do you suggest?"

"First, I want to know. How did the leader of Buy n' Large's sworn enemy end up on one of their starliners?"

"It was set up. After the war ended and _Operation: Recolonize_ was organized, several Syndicate loyalists worked inside Buy n' Large to get their few remaining numbers onto a specific ship."

"The _Atlas_."

"Correct. The _Atlas_ had excessive building materials, hence the bigger design, which were to be used for establishing a proper colony in case of the earth being abandoned for an extended time. The first passengers onboard used those materials to make a Syndicate army made up of robots. It was a plot to conquer the earth upon our return."

"But there were some complications, weren't there?"

"Because of the extended time in space, the Prophet put himself in cryo-stasis and gave the order to take him out when we returned to earth. But he didn't expect what happened afterward."

"What was it?"

"As time went by, so did our loyalty. Most of the _Atlas'_ passengers began to question the Prophet's motives. Some even realized his true intentions and loyalty to him diminished throughout the years. Keller is one of the few who still believe in him."

"The Prophet lost his support."

"That's right. And because of his loss of support, his orders and his beliefs were forgotten. On my orders, he's not coming out of cryo-stasis. He'll stay in there for a long time."

"Are you sure, Jasper?"

"I'd stake my life on that order."

McCrea felt a sense of relief. This was a big problem indeed, but if Talon said he would prevent the Prophet from coming out, he would. Talon was a man of honesty, McCrea could trust him.

But now he wasn't sure if he could tell REX now. REX had suffered so much from the Syndicate, and finding out that the leader was still alive would throw him completely off the edge. If McCrea told REX, he would more than likely go berserk. If he didn't tell REX, he would find out eventually, and develop distrust for McCrea because he didn't say anything.

McCrea got up and went to the viewscreen again to look at the robots. They were done with their game of tag. The sisters and the rogues were grouped together having a conversation while WALL-E, EVE, REX, and Neon were having some romantic moments of laying together in hoverchairs.

Talon came over and stood by his side. "Funny thing, love."

"It's all that goes through their minds." McCrea said. "They don't carry the burdens that we do. They don't stress about food, work, or other common needs. Their directives are being with each other, and that's what they intend to do."

"That's what makes us different from them. We don't have directives, we have goals. We can choose whether or not to follow our goals. But to a robot, a directive is everything. They follow their directive no matter what."

"That's why Auto staged a mutiny."

"Auto was following a directive, but he didn't know he was following a false directive. What Epsilon means by directives being defied, is that sometimes a robot is following the wrong directive. Auto was mislead."

McCrea noticed EVE hugging WALL-E tight and giving him a spark-kiss, which made WALL-E very happy.

"The thing about those robots," McCrea spoke. "Is free will. They all were given directives by our ancestors, but then they defied their directives and made new ones. WALL-E and EVE are each other's directive. REX made protecting them his directive. And Neon, she fell in love with REX and made him her directive."

"They chose their own directives. That makes them better than us. Their directives are staying together, as a family."

"Yeah."

Talon then went for the elevator. He stood by it and gave McCrea a slight smile.

"C'mon. We're the Captains, which means everyone's gonna be looking to us for guidance."

* * *

REX relaxed on the hoverchair as Neon was gently nuzzling him. He kept his eyes closed, using his perimeter cameras to view his surroundings.

Specifically, he was watching WALL-E. His brother was completely still in his hoverchair as EVE was barraging him with affection. That close call with Keller really got EVE worked up.

REX could understand why WALL-E cried. So much pain from losing his brothers all bottled up inside. Keeping it suppressed in his mind wasn't helping; it would only make it worse. When EVE was suffering, WALL-E reached his breaking point and it all came out.

REX was no stranger to crying. General Warren told him it was how you release the pain; and once you released it, you feel better. REX actually remembered the first time he cried:

It was his very first field battle: The Liberation of Africa. REX fought alongside an army of five million strong to free the country after the Syndicate took over. The operation failed however. More than half of the BnL invasion force was slaughtered and a retreat was ordered. The painful bit was that REX was deployed along with a group of twenty soldiers, all of them close friends of his during his training time, and he was the only one who came back after the invasion. When REX returned to the barracks and to Warren, he broke down and started crying. It was his first experience with loss.

That was also the first time he experienced rage. When he cried, General Warren tried to comfort him, but Herald Jastle scoffed at him. He said that caring for his friends would hinder his progress, make him weak. That was when REX lashed out at Jastle in fury, breaking his nose with a swift punch. REX never forgot what he said to him.

_Go to hell, meatsack!_

_Meatsack._ That was an insult REX used for humans he didn't get along with. Jastle didn't like it, but Warren got a slight laugh out it. He said REX was just like him when he was young: defiant. After that event, REX never took an order from Jastle ever again. He hated that man with a passion.

"REX?"

REX snapped out of his thoughts from Neon's voice. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She had a concerned face, which disturbed him. The EVE probes had a way of looking cute most of the time. But when they were scared or concerned, their facial expressions were very unpleasant. WALL-E would get upset when EVE was troubled, and so would REX with Neon.

"What's wrong?" REX asked her.

"Keller."

REX got the hint. Neon was uneasy about having Keller around since he attacked WALL-E. He also knew that she would get upset when he was angry. She didn't like it when REX got angry, even if he never meant harm to her.

"He won't bother us anymore. I'll make sure of that."

REX would keep his word. He promised EVE no harm would come to their family, and he was intent on making sure it stayed that way. REX was loyal to his family; they mattered more than his own life every time.

Neon continued to stare at him for a few moments, then rested her head on his chest while taking his mechanical hand in hers. "Okay."

REX understood why Neon was stressed. The EVE probes were tight-knit with each other. However, EVE and Neon were the closest because they lived together with WALL-E and REX. Neon cared for her sister, she wanted EVE to be happy.

"Listen," REX said. "WALL-E's my brother. EVE _will_ have him forever because if anyone wants to harm WALL-E, they'll have to go through me _first._ "

Neon then lifted her head and looked at him with a confident expression.

"No," she said. "Us."

REX nodded in agreement. Neon told him a few days ago that the sisters respected WALL-E. They said they would protect him too.

REX respected EVE and her sisters. He noticed that they had a strong sense of dedication. When they had a directive, nothing would distract them; REX was very much like that. EVE made WALL-E her directive, so she never left his side _ever_. Neon, Angel, Izzy, and Vi made protecting WALL-E their directive because they were appreciative of him making EVE happy. With REX included, WALL-E had a small army protecting him.

"We'll protect him." REX then said.

"Yes." Neon responded.

That was REX's directive: protecting his little brother. REX could get along fine with anyone who liked WALL-E, but if they meant harm, they would be the victims of a fury only he possessed. No one messed with his family, especially his brother.

REX then noticed WALL-E and EVE coming over to them, a smile shown on each bot.

"Something up?" REX asked them.

"Hangout?" EVE asked.

"Sure, why not."

The Hangout was actually the new name for Blackwing HQ. WALL-E, EVE, REX, Neon, the sisters, and the rogues only knew of its existence so they came up with the name. They didn't tell anyone about it because it was their secret hangout spot.

REX and Neon got out of the hoverchair and REX made a sharp whistle to get the sisters and the rogues' attention. When they turned to him, he indicated the nearest exit hatch with a tilt of his head. "Anyone up for some time at the Hangout?"

Everyone nodded enthusiastically. WALL-E then made a beeline for the exit hatch and waited for the others to follow. EVE quickly dashed over, then REX and the sisters, followed by the rogues.

REX opened the hatch and WALL-E immediately dashed out. It seemed WALL-E was getting excited as he started bouncing up and down when he reached the ramp.

"What's gotten into you?" REX asked, partially amused.

WALL-E didn't answer, but instead kept on bouncing until EVE gave him a hug to calm him down. It was strange that WALL-E got excited very easily, but REX understood his motive: he wanted everyone to be happy by showing that he was willing to participate in some fun activities.

The robot group started to make their way to the Hangout. The time it took to get there was actually pretty quick as most of the group was dashing there mainly out of impatience. REX had to activate his hoverboots so he could keep up with them.

After some time, they arrived at the Hangout. The surface lobby was cleaned of rubble and had some of WALL-E's trinkets littered about for decorative purposes. REX distinctly remembered everyone except him setting up the decorations a few days ago to make the lobby feel more comfortable. He didn't care much about decoration, but it did give off a more friendly appearance.

REX activated the secret elevator, and after receiving a friendly greeting from Elise, took it down with the others following. They arrived at the Blackwing lobby after a quick descent. REX was about to step out, but almost lost his balance when Vi suddenly shot out of the elevator, bumping into him along the way. When she got out, she turned and faced everyone with a giddy expression that only WALL-E could copy.

"Hide and seek!" Vi squealed in excitement.

REX turned to the rest of the group. They all showed positive signs with smiles and bouncing bodies. They wanted to play.

"You all go ahead," REX said to them. "I have something to do."

Everyone nodded, then started dashing around frantically for hiding places. Some even took the teleporter and warped off to different places. Vi already decided she was "it," so she went to a nearby wall and covered her eyes while she counted.

REX chuckled lightly to himself. Vi was one of the strangest of the sisters. She was so childish and energetic. She acted a lot like WALL-E when he was in a good mood.

REX left Vi to her counting and took the teleporter to the Alpha Maintenance Room. He needed to do a systems check on himself and maybe squeeze in some combat training.

After going through the gentle pulling of the teleporter, REX arrived at his destination. With a quick sweep of the area using an electromagnetic filter, he found Izzy and L-T hiding in some of the separate rooms. They popped out of their hiding places and greeted him, then went back to hiding.

REX stepped into a room labeled "Diagnostics," which was where he could get a systems' check of all of his inner workings. Repairs were rare for him during his military career, but checkups were common because even _he_ was concerned about his functioning ability. _You need to be at 100% operating capacity, anything less is unacceptable._ General Warren told him that once, and REX took it to heart.

The room wasn't very big. A large computer screen hung on the far wall with several cords hanging out of it. Several stasis pods lined the wall on the right (one was obviously missing). On the left stood a large generator covered by a metallic grate.

REX went up to the computer and typed in his serial number. A series of commands appeared afterwards and REX selected the one labeled "Systems check." The screen flashed green, then Elise chimed in.

"Please insert the scanning port into your arm, Alpha."

REX grabbed one of the hanging cords and inserted it into a port on his mechanical arm. The computer screen blinked a few times, then words began to appear on the screen.

_Assault rifle: online. Tazer charge: online. Razor blades: online. Magnetic manipulator: online. Particle cannon: online. Ion grenades: online. Missile launcher: online. Thermal vision filter: online. . ._

The list kept going. REX had thousands of features, so it would take a while to have them all checked. He was amazed that Blackwing was able to install so many different features into him. They made him the most powerful robot ever to exist.

And on top of that, REX was trained by the best soldier the entire Buy n' Large military had to offer: General Gerald Warren. Warren shaped him into a survivor thanks to his training methods. REX's combat instincts were superb, he excelled in multiple forms of combat, he was excellent in making tactical decisions, and he could keep his cool under the most brutal situations. REX owed everything to General Warren. _His father._

After a good ten minutes, the checkup was finished. Every one of REX's systems read out as fully functioning. He was still in good shape.

"Alpha," Elise said. "I have the results from the recorded data you sent."

"Excellent." REX replied. The issue on how WALL-E got his memory back bugged REX. He wanted to figure out how EVE's spark-kiss gave his brother back his memory so he could figure out on how to control that ability and use it if he needed to. In order to find out, REX collected videos he recorded of EVE giving WALL-E spark-kisses and sent them to Elise to have them analyzed.

"The small spark that passes between them-" Elise continued. "-is a transfusion link."

REX was shocked. "No way!"

A transfusion link was a special link that allowed two robots to share all of their data between each other. REX was able to initiate one simply through physical contact with another robot, but there were so few in his time that could initiate one themselves. That was how WALL-E got his memory back: when he and EVE had their first spark kiss, their memories were shared with each other, but because of their less-advanced designs, they couldn't access the memories they received. When EVE fixed WALL-E and gave him a new CPU chip, a spark-kiss from her transferred the memories she carried into WALL-E, bringing him back.

And now, REX had shared a spark-kiss with Neon. He had her memories and she had his. A transfusion link was a very powerful asset. It could make a robot almost unkillable.

"Thank you for this information, Elise." REX then said.

"My pleasure, Alpha."

REX then made his way out of the diagnostics room and to the teleporter. Before he could use it, it suddenly flashed and then Vi appeared. Blackwing HQ was enormous, but when the group played hide-and-seek, Elise would be helping the seeker by telling them which rooms the others were hiding in. The game couldn't take too long.

REX indicated to the doors Izzy and L-T were hiding in. Vi thanked him, then went into the rooms and brought the two out. They didn't look very happy about being caught.

"Who's left?" REX asked Vi.

"WALL-E." She answered.

REX should've expected that answer. He trained WALL-E in stealth and infiltration, and WALL-E learned fast. In hide-and-seek games, WALL-E was usually the last to be found. When his brother was hiding, _he was hiding._

"Good luck finding him." REX said sarcastically.

Vi smiled and went back into the teleporter with Izzy and L-T. REX waited until the cooldown timer clicked, then stepped on it.

"Elise," he said. "Take me to where WALL-E is."

"I thought Vi was looking for him."

"I won't rat out my brother, I just want to see how good he is at hiding."

"Very well, Alpha."

REX was then teleported to a location he didn't recognize. A simple hallway with several doors lining it on the left and right. Possibly offices.

He detected WALL-E's signature coming from behind a large door at the end of the hallway. He made his way to it and walked in.

Sure enough, it was someone's office. A desk stood in the center ahead of a bookshelf on the back wall. Several screens displaying data and security cameras lined the side walls. Multiple pictures of Blackwing staff hung on the last remaining wall. Someone high in the command chain occupied this office.

REX searched around for WALL-E, not using any vision filters so as to make it a challenge. If he knew his brother well enough, he would be hiding in the smallest place he could fit. REX had learned of WALL-E's claustrophobia and managed to break him of the fear. Military training could do wonders for the mind as well as the muscles.

There wasn't that many hiding places as the room lacked variety in shape. REX was actually about to give up when he heard a slight rustle coming from a vent located right above the bookshelf.

REX climbed up the bookshelf to get within reaching distance to the vent. When he got to it, he pried open the grate covering.

Sure enough, WALL-E popped out of the vent. The small trash compactor warbled happily to REX, then jumped off the bookshelf onto the ground.

"Impressive hiding spot." REX said to him. "Nearly had me fooled."

WALL-E chittered in response and gave REX a playful push. REX laughed, then put WALL-E in a friendly armlock and dropped to the ground with him. The two brothers then began another game of wrestling as they scrambled on the ground trying to pin down the other.

They continued their playful fight until REX was knocked into the desk and a small picture landed on his lap. The image on the picture made him freeze in place because it was something he recognized.

On the picture was a man. Black hair, about mid-thirties, and sporting a pair of glasses. The man also had a cold-hearted scowl that REX knew and hated all too well.

It was a picture of Herald Jastle. This was Jastle's office.

REX suddenly felt rage building inside him. Even though Jastle was long gone, he still hated that man for what he'd done. Jastle had tried to get him terminated for having a personality, he disregarded how important REX was, and he took away everyone REX knew by putting him in stasis and abandoning him.

WALL-E rolled up to REX with a worried expression. He must've sensed REX's trouble and came to help.

REX showed WALL-E the picture of Jastle. WALL-E looked at the picture, then at him with a confused expression.

"The scumbag who took away my old life." REX mumbled. "Jastle."

WALL-E jumped in surprise, then he started making an angry clicking sound with his optics tilting straight and squinting slightly. WALL-E was getting mad.

WALL-E swiped the picture from REX and strode off with it. He started scouring the room, taking anything that had Jastle's face or name on it and set the items down in a pile on the ground.

He then opened his trash compartment and scooped the collected items into it. After a bit of shaking and rattling, WALL-E opened his compartment to show all of the items compacted into a cube. He picked up the cube and threw it into the wall. The cube exploded into several tiny pieces and sprinkled all over the floor.

"No!" WALL-E snapped. "Gone."

REX got the idea: Jastle was gone. He couldn't do anymore to REX. He couldn't hurt REX anymore.

REX got up and went to Jastle's desk. When he got to it, he turned to WALL-E and gave him a slight nod.

"He's gone now, which means I can do _this._ "

REX slammed his mechanical hand onto the desk, splitting it in half. He started stomping on the broken parts with as much force as he could, causing the pieces to break into even more smaller ones. He continued his attack on the desk until the pieces were too small to break anymore.

REX always hated Jastle for his lack of care. Since General Warren told him that violence wouldn't break even with him, REX had resorted to petty jokes and disobedience to irritate Jastle. REX could only imagine how mad Jastle would get if he found out that REX had trashed his office.

REX then looked at WALL-E, who gave him a reassuring nod and made a slight smile.

"That felt good." REX said.

WALL-E nodded in response, then went to the exit and waited for REX. REX followed his brother out of the office and the two made their way to the teleporter. As they came up to it, it suddenly flashed and then Vi appeared.

"Found you!" Vi shouted in delight. She hovered up to WALL-E and gave him a friendly hug.

REX snickered to himself. EVE's sisters were always friendly to WALL-E. He knew it was because they respected him for making EVE happy. However, they tended to express their friendliness the same way EVE expressed her affection to him.

WALL-E always stood still when EVE gave him a hug, that much REX knew, but when one of the sisters gave him a hug, he sometimes tried to pull away. It showed as WALL-E tried to squirm out of Vi's grip, but wasn't successful.

"Allright," REX then said. "Let's go find the others."

Vi set down WALL-E (but not before giving him a playful spark-kiss, which WALL-E didn't like) and the three took the teleporter back to the main lobby. They arrived to find the rest of the group standing right in front of the pad.

"I see WALL-E had won again," REX gave the probes a mocking glare. "I'm surprised to see that. Especially you, EVE. I thought hiding was one of your expert traits."

EVE glared at REX, then smacked him in the back of the head. REX always cracked jokes on EVE mainly because he liked her for making his brother happy. Cracking jokes was REX's way of saying he wanted to be friends (or well that's what his military friends told him).

"Allright," REX spoke. "I'm going to do some training. Just a quick exercise to keep the mind alert."

EVE and her sisters immediately moved forward, but REX put up his hand to stop them. "Just me this time, you can go to the spectator room to watch if you like."

The probes gave disappointed looks, but joined REX on the teleporter with WALL-E and the rogues following after, and the entire group was warped to the training simulator.

Everyone except REX went to the lift to the spectator room. He waited until Elise gave the all-clear that they were in the room, then prepared for another bout of training.

"Elise, simulation Alpha 01." REX said. "Level 10."

"Alpha, I do not recommend that you shou-"

"Do it."

". . . yes Alpha."

The terrain altered shape. This time it changed into a refurbished variant of the city on the surface. No trash, no dirt; just what a normal city looked like with cars lining the streets and buildings with no evidence of rust or decay.

"Mission enabled." Elise said. "Survive at all costs."

Giant planes began to appear in the sky. They resembled giant winged beasts with their crude designs. They flew over the city, dropping numerous objects REX couldn't yet identify into the city. He used his zooming feature on the objects and made out what they were almost immediately, because he recognized them.

The smallest objects were Syndicate drones, dropping by the hundreds with rifles clutched tight in their arms. Some of the larger objects were battle tanks that resembled giant spiders with cannons on their front ends while others were two-legged machines equipped with numerous weapons ranging from machineguns to laser cannons. This simulation was against the Syndicate army.

REX had about twenty seconds before the enemy touched ground. He activated his magnetic manipulator ability and started pulling numerous cars around him much like how telekinesis works and formed a barricade separating him from the Syndicate's drop point.

He activated his assault rifle, set it to disruption rounds so that it would fry robotic components on contact, and waited as the Syndicate army touched earth just a few miles away from his position. He was severely outnumbered, outgunned, and possibly out of his mind. REX was fighting against hundreds of heavily armed drones and tanks without backup.

But he was in a position like that many times before, and he still came out alive.

The Syndicate army began to advance towards his location. REX made a deep simulated exhale, then opened fire.

The forward unit of the army, made up completely of drones, was torn apart by REX's fire. The disruption rounds played havoc with their internal circuitry as a sharp electrical pulse emitted by the bullets disabled all systems within the drones. They dropped as quickly as rain fell.

The army began returning fire. The spider tanks, known in the trade as A-rachs, fired their forward mounted rocket cannons at REX's barricade. He immediately took off as his barricade was blown to pieces from the assault and activated another weapon feature with his mechanical arm transforming into a single tube: his particle cannon.

The particle cannon was purely anti-vehicle. It supercharged a large amount of R-15 and fired it in a devastating bright blue beam out of the tube at an incredible velocity. The beam was powerful enough to pierce straight through any kind of material, leaving a gaping hole where it struck the intended target.

REX dropped on one knee to steady his aim as the A-rachs clambered over the destroyed barricade, then prepared the cannon. He fired a beam at the closest one. The beam tore right through the A-rach, striking the rockets loaded inside it and detonating them, causing an enormous fireball that erupted from within the mechanical beast.

He fired several more beams on the remaining A-rachs. REX knew how the tanks worked because he had fought against them several times in the past. Because of their cumbersome design, it took them a few moments before they could get a bead on him, even if he was standing still.

But then the two-legged machines, better known as Walkers, and the remaining Syndicate drones came into play. They opened up with a hailstorm of fire in REX's direction. He immediately deployed his integrated forcefield to shield himself from the assault, but the field could only take so much from the intense pounding.

The last remaining A-rach then charged its cannons and fired a blast at REX. The impact shattered his shield and knocked him several feet into the air. REX was sent backwards into a building, the velocity he was traveling at sent him right through the wall.

 _Level 10._ REX had forgotten that on that level in the simulation, enemy attacks had force in them. Just short of lethal. He needed to be more careful from then on.

REX emerged out of a pile of rubble caused by his impact into the building and found himself in a small office room. He immediately started scanning for nearby threats with his assault rifle at the ready.

But then a Walker crashed through the building wall and fired a rocket at REX. REX was caught completely by surprise and the rocket hit him directly. The force of the explosion lifted REX into the air again and he was knocked out of the building, this time a collection of debris crumbled on top of him.

REX struggled to get out of the debris, but the sheer weight of it all was too much for him to move. He was pinned down, with the Syndicate making their way to him.

_You will amount to nothing._

REX heard the voice. Jastle's voice. The man always disregarded REX and never treated him with any kind of sincerity. It was always just _do this or else._ Jastle never cared about what REX developed as he fought in the military, he just wanted him to do what he wanted.

_Because you develop feelings, it will only make you weak. Caring for others makes you weak._

Jastle was wrong. REX came into the war knowing nothing but only to fight the Syndicate, but General Warren taught him to become _alive._ He taught REX about fighting for a purpose, not what his creators made his directive to be. REX didn't fight the war for his directive, he fought for the family he had in the military, because they were the only family he had. Losing them was horrible, but Jastle didn't care.

_You deserve to lose everything. You were disobedient. You only obey me._

"Shut up!" REX yelled. With a sudden burst of strength, he freed himself out of the debris collection to find himself surrounded by several Walkers, the last A-rach, and the remaining drones.

They opened fire on him. This time REX activated his hoverboots and dashed around to avoid fire. He was going on speed this time.

REX activated his missile launcher and fired a volley at the Walkers. He went for their legs, which caused them to topple over, firing their weapons wildly. The wild fire only resulted in them shooting each other, ending one threat.

The last A-rach tried to get a bead on REX, but because he was moving so fast, it resorted to just firing wildly at him and missing with horrible accuracy. REX shifted his pace and dashed underneath the tank, then activated his particle cannon and fired a beam straight up into its midsection, taking out its core battery and removing it from the fight.

All that remained were over 150 Syndicate infantry drones. They lined up a few miles away from REX, then marched towards him firing their rifles with reckless abandon. The bullets hit REX, but he shrugged off the impact and prepared to retaliate.

REX ran towards them, firing his assault rifle as he went. Hearing Jastle scold him was really getting his temper up, and now he was fighting on pure rage.

He kept firing until he was right in their ranks, then he resorted to a mixture of hand-to-hand combat and weapons systems, decimating the Syndicate drones with martial arts techniques as well as numerous weapon features to keep the fight varied. The drones couldn't withstand REX's relentless barrage and were torn to bits and pieces from his attacks.

Several seconds later, the drones were finished. Nothing but robotic bodies littered the ground as REX stood over them.

Then, a concussion round hit REX in the back, knocking him down. He quickly recovered to see a Syndicate drone with yellow paint streaks on its armor scheme and toting a concussion rifle. A Syndicate commander drone, or better known as a Director.

The Director fired several concussion rounds at REX. He dodged the shots and retaliated with short quick bursts from his assault rifle. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of the Director's reinforced hide. Directors were created to lead Syndicate divisions, and also to represent a serious threat to BnL forces.

But REX had fought Directors before, and knew their weakness. He sprinted up to the drone and quickly batted away the concussion rifle away before delivering a swift punch into its face. The drone immediately responded with a flurry of attacks which REX blocked and parried with ease. Directors were meant to fight at range, and weren't much in melee.

REX continued with a barrage of punches and kicks on the Director, stringing together combos to keep the drone stunned as he kept on going. Fighting on rage made REX fight more aggressively, because his anger was always caused by loss. He wanted revenge for all of the lives lost in the war. He wanted the Syndicate to _die._

But somewhere amidst REX's onslaught, the Director found an opening in his defense and delivered a swift kick into REX's leg. The hit caused REX to drop to the ground with his defenses temporarily lowered. The drone then raised one arm to deliver another blow, but REX quickly drew out his pistol and delivered a shot into a soft spot in the drone's neck, taking it down for the count.

"Mission complete." Elise said.

The environment altered back into the default empty room. REX tried to stand up, but a sharp pain ran through his leg and he dropped to the ground with a pained grunt. The Director's kick had fractured a support frame in his leg and he couldn't walk on it. His self-healing nanobots could repair the problem in a few minutes, but the injury would linger until the repairs were complete.

REX then was immediately swarmed by Neon as she came over in concerned fear with the rest of the group standing behind her. Everyone saw the intense fighting REX went through, and when he was injured.

Neon quickly lifted one of REX's arms over her backside and helped him up while WALL-E got behind and pushed up against REX's back to aid Neon. By that time, the injury in REX's leg was almost fully repaired. He could stand on it, but he was walking on a limp now.

"REX!" Neon voiced in concern. Her eyeforms showed complete fear, which made REX ashamed of himself. He was just doing an intense training simulation, and he was scaring her by getting himself hurt.

REX couldn't say anything. He always hated the feeling of shame. In his past life, his worst fear was just disappointing General Warren. He looked up to Warren, always wanting to please him. Whenever REX did something that Warren didn't approve of, it always made him ashamed. He couldn't stand making his mentor upset.

Neon then buried her head into his chest. She started whimpering slightly, which was really upsetting REX. He hated seeing her cry. He was just like WALL-E now, he couldn't stand making his girlfriend upset.

REX looked at the others. "Give us a moment?"

They nodded, then took the teleporter to the main lobby, leaving REX and Neon in the empty simulator room. REX just focused on comforting Neon as best he could.

"I just need to know," REX said softly to her. "I just need to know that I'm strong enough to protect my family. I've lost so many in the past. I don't know what will happen if I lose any more."

Neon's crying increased slightly. Just her sobbing was enough to make REX break down. He started crying with her. All of the pain he had suffered was coming back, and he released it, just like Warren told him to.

"I can't lose you." REX said. "I love you."

Neon's crying eased slightly, then she brought her head out of REX's chest and made a weak smile. She gave him a long-lasting spark-kiss and leaned her head into his.

"I love you." She said.

All that ever mattered to REX was family. It was what Warren had raised him to believe in his training. _Family comes first._ REX never forgot that lesson, not even if he tried to. Family was the reason he fought in the war (having his original directive as a logical excuse to keep fighting), and family was the reason he would stay alive in his new life.

The two just stood there, holding each other tight. Nothing else mattered right now. REX wanted to be with his beloved, and she wanted to be with him. That was their new directives: to be with each other.

REX hated himself for fighting now. He had been on the brink of death several times in the past, and those moments made him realize that he may have never found WALL-E or Neon if he had been a casualty of war; he would've never found a family. He had heard of a God from General Warren. If that God was real and He played a part in keeping REX alive all this time, REX wanted to thank Him, because surviving that war gave him a family to love, and to be loved in return.

After a few moments, Neon's crying stopped and she eased out of REX's hold. She smiled and gave REX another spark-kiss, then forced her hand into his mechanical one. Ever since finding out what holding hands really meant, REX always wanted to hold Neon's hand, and it made him happy whenever she complied.

Neon then moved her free hand up to REX's shirt. Her finger caught in the fabric, revealing a hole, as well as several more. REX's shirt was torn up from the firefight.

"Let's get that fixed," he said. "Allright."

"Okay." Neon responded. The two then went for the teleporter, with REX walking on a limp, and took it to the Alpha Maintenance room. They arrived after a blinding flash from the pad and REX took Neon to one door labeled "Secondary Maintenance," a section where REX could get minor treatments like camouflage corrections and standard cleaning.

The room inside consisted of a shower where REX could get himself cleaned, a surgery desk in case of needing to remove important parts, and a large boxed-shaped machine known as the "Refabricator," where REX could get his clothing repaired of any damages.

REX moved up to the Refabricator, releasing Neon's hand so he could take off his shirt. When he took it off, he heard Neon make a sharp gasp. He already knew what it was:

All over the back and front of his synthetic (and slightly muscular) skin, there were several black lines that traced random patterns on the artificial flesh. Those were scars that REX had accumulated during his service in the war. REX had supremely reinforced skin, but there were some weapons in the Syndicate arsenal that had done some damage to him. The scars were clear evidence.

And if that wasn't enough, REX's mechanical arm showed how it was connected to the rest of him. At the shoulder, metal from the arm and synthetic flesh from the rest of him overlapped each other, making it look more like his arm was fused into him rather than having it built with him. It was intentional too. The reason was because if REX had ever gone into a civilian district (which he had a few times), the people would think he was just a human soldier who had lost his arm in the war and had a prosthetic replacement. They weren't supposed to know he was a machine made purely to fight.

REX placed his shirt into a small slot in the Refabricator and turned to Neon. She was in complete shock as she stared at the now shirtless REX. The scars and the crude mechanical arm design made him look like a freak experiment. REX was ashamed of himself that Neon had to see him like this. It was the consequences of being made to fight a war.

REX pointed to the scars on his chest. "The sole reason I don't want you, EVE, or any of your sisters to fight. The training was a last resort effort in case all of us are threatened. I don't want you or your sisters to suffer what I have. It's too much to fight in a war."

Neon's look of shock eased slightly, then she went up and hugged REX. REX was actually caught off-guard by her hug. He didn't expect Neon to touch him not only because of his disturbed features, but also because he wasn't wearing his shirt.

Then again, Neon didn't wear clothes. She probably didn't have a problem with boundaries since she was, in a loose term, _in the nude._

"REX," Neon said softly. She pointed to herself. "Trust . . . you . . . protect."

REX had learned to make out what Neon was trying to say with her limited speech. He had actually gotten pretty good at it after a few days. _I trust you. I know you can protect us._ That was what Neon was trying to say.

"I'm just worried, that's all." REX said. "I thought I had left that past behind, but then Keller showed up with that human supremacy belief of his and attacked WALL-E. I may have looked angry and completely fearless when I went off on him. But really, I was scared. I was scared that I would lose my brother. I can't lose another brother, I just can't."

"Family . . . here for you." _We're here for you REX, don't ever forget that. We're your family._

Just hearing that filled REX with peace. It was like General Warren always said, _I'm here for you._ Neon was telling REX that his family would be there for him when he needed them most. WALL-E was his brother, EVE was his friend, and Neon was his love. They were the family he needed to make his life matter.

REX hugged Neon tighter. "Thank you, Neon."

Neon accepted his gratitude with a spark-kiss. The two then just held each other for a long period. REX was completely focused on being with his love. He didn't regret this new life at all. First it was finding a brother in WALL-E, then realizing that there was no more war, and finally there was finding love in Neon. He had the life that General Warren tried so hard to give to him.

The two continued to hold each other until the Refabricator made a loud _ding,_ alerting them that REX's shirt had been repaired of the holes. REX went over to the machine and pulled out his shirt. It looked good as new, with the addition of something that puzzled REX:

On the upper-right side of his shirt, where his lieutenant's insignia was, there was a different symbol: two silver rectangles connected by two small lines at the top and bottom corners. The rank of a captain.

"Elise," REX asked. "There seems to be a misunderstanding."

"Not at all, Alpha." Elise replied cheerfully. "General Warren had officially promoted you to the rank of captain shortly after you were put in suspended animation. He asked me to inform you the next time you went to have your clothing reconstructed."

REX made a faint whistle of surprised amusement. General Warren wasn't much for giving him promotions, even though he treated REX like his favorite. He said that REX should be used to being a low-ranked grunt to experience what life is like in the lower ranks. REX never complained because he was unquestionably loyal to Warren at all times. It seemed strange that Warren would promote him so suddenly.

But he never questioned Warren's motives. Whatever Warren did, he did it for a good reason.

So REX then put on his shirt, admiring his new captain's insignia for a short while, and turned to Neon. "So, Captain REX now. Seems suitable, doesn't it?"

Neon giggled, then gave REX a diligent salute. REX saluted her back out of entertainment, then the two laughed for a brief moment.

"Let's head back," REX said. "We should be heading home now."

Neon nodded and the two then began to head back to the teleporter. REX's fractured leg was now fully repaired thanks to his nanobots, so he could walk perfectly again. The one and only thing REX could think positively about Blackwing was giving him such powerful technology. It certainly helped him in the long run.

They took the teleporter back to the main lobby and rejoined the others. Some of them took a quick look at REX's new captain's insignia, then everyone went to the main elevator and took it back to the surface.

Outside, the sun was setting. A beautiful orange glow glistened in the sky as the sun was on the brink of vanishing over the horizon. REX thought of spending some time enjoying the sunset with Neon, but it was her choice whether or not they should.

The sisters and rogues bid goodbye to the robot family, then began to head off for their appropriate homes. The group of four started to head for WALL-E's truck to escape the coming nightfall.

As they made their way home, REX became lost in thought. Primarily, he was thinking of the future. He thought he had escaped the evils of his former past, but then that human supremacist Keller arrived and became a threat to his family.

REX certainly hoped that Keller wouldn't get stupid and try to attack WALL-E again, because next time, REX wouldn't think twice about pulling the trigger. His family always came first.

REX felt Neon take his hand. He returned the grip and turned to her, smiling. Neon smiled back and nuzzled him gently as they continued walking. For that moment, REX forgot every concern that was on his mind. Finding love wasn't some token or reward, it was a blessing. It made REX feel happier than he ever had been.

He was glad that he and WALL-E had become brothers, because WALL-E's relationship with EVE taught him about love. REX certainly enjoyed falling in love with Neon. But overall, his entire family is what made his life matter. The soldiers he fought with always told him that they had families back home, and that they were fighting the war to protect them.

So REX fought for only one reason: to protect his family.

* * *

EVE really needed some private time with WALL-E. The sunset was too irresistible to pass up, and she needed to do something.

She glided up next to REX and asked him if she could take WALL-E away for a private moment.

"You don't have to ask me," REX said. "Go ahead."

EVE smiled in gratitude, then took WALL-E's hand and went off with him while REX and Neon continued to the truck. WALL-E chittered happily, which made EVE giggle. The noises he made when he was happy always put EVE in a good mood. She like how he was always so cheerful, it amused her.

EVE and WALL-E continued on their path towards a familiar destination only the two knew about: the park bench where WALL-E inscribed their promise to each other.

Most of the trash was cleaned out now thanks to the WALL-As. The streets were practically trash-free and easy to move through. It seemed that WALL-E was getting a lucky break from his job.

They eventually arrived at the bench. The empty dunes in the distance provided a magnificent view of the sunset. EVE felt so happy to enjoy this with WALL-E once again.

WALL-E went ahead of her and perched himself on the park bench. EVE followed him on it and gave him a loving hug while staring at the sunset. WALL-E hugged her back while leaning his head into hers. EVE always enjoyed WALL-E's love and he enjoyed hers. She would say it a million times, maybe more: she loved him.

"E-vah." WALL-E said lovingly to her.

WALL-E's robotic speech reminded her why she brought him here. She broke out of the hug and opened her inner compartment to reveal two objects with a round shape and grey paint schemes.

During their game of hide and seek at the Hangout, EVE's curiosity got the better of her as she discovered the objects. Elise told her that they were special telepathic communicators that allowed two beings of any kind to communicate freely between each other using their minds. The purpose was primarily for humans separated by different languages or speech impediments.

But the only thing EVE realized was: _I could talk to WALL-E._

WALL-E looked at the communicators, then at her with a confused expression. He wasn't catching on.

"Here," EVE said. She gave WALL-E one communicator while she held the other one in her hand. Elise said they only needed to hold the objects to use them.

EVE pressed a small red button on her communicator, then beckoned to WALL-E to do the same with his. He did so, and the two objects began flashing bright blue while emitting a faint whining sound.

EVE suddenly felt a surge of something she couldn't identify rushing through her body. It was strangely tingling, and it made her shudder uncontrollably because it also didn't feel comfortable. WALL-E must've been feeling the same as he was cringing slightly, his expression showing distress.

Then, EVE heard voices. They sounded familiar, but were distorted in pitch. It seemed she was hearing WALL-E talk.

After a few seconds, the distortion cleared and she heard the familiar voice of her love, except he was talking fluently, and with panic.

"What's going on? This thing is scaring me! I don't want it anymore!"

"WALL-E," EVE said softly. "Relax, it's not going to hurt you."

WALL-E looked at her in surprise. EVE was surprised herself. Her voice was the same as before, but she could talk perfectly. Every word she thought was processed and spoken like a human could.

"Eva," WALL-E said on confusion. "Did you just-did I just-what's going on?"

"These devices allow us to talk, WALL-E. I like how you still call me Eva, though. It sounds cute when you say it."

"Well, you said you like the name better, and your wish is my command."

EVE giggled. Even as he spoke, WALL-E was still funny. He hasn't changed at all, and she wanted it to stay that way.

"Eva," WALL-E then spoke. "Why did you get these though?"

"I want to be able to talk to you. I want to be able to say _I love you_ the right way."

"The right way?"

WALL-E looked at her with an uneasy facial expression. It confused EVE.

"What's wrong?" EVE asked him.

"It's just-REX told me this. There's never a right way or a wrong way. There's only _your_ way."

"What do you mean, WALL-E?"

"I mean that we didn't need to speak perfectly, we never needed to. I fell in love with you from the start and I did all I could to make you happy. You became my priority, my directive."

EVE smiled lovingly at him. "Oh, WALL-E. That's so sweet."

"But I never had to say it, Eva. I looked after you in stasis, I wanted to help you find the plant to fulfill your original directive, and when Auto shocked me and I was crushed, you were the only thing I thought of."

EVE swore she was going to cry happily. Because he could talk perfectly, WALL-E was spilling his mind out to her. He confessed how he truly felt for her without hesitation. He was full of heart.

WALL-E then took her free hand in his and gave her a loving stare. "Eva, I like being able to say _I love you,_ but all that I ever wanted was to hold your hand. That was how I truly say _I love you._ "

"You always wanted to hold my hand back during our adventure. I never noticed because I was too attached to my original directive. I was stupid, I was an idiot."

"No you're not, Eva. You were doing what you thought was right. That's exactly what REX taught us and your sisters. We do what we think is right."

"WALL-E, I saw what you did for me while I was in stasis. Not when we showed REX our past, but before that, right before Auto shocked you."

"That's why you threw away the plant back in the _Axiom's_ garbage dump. You cared for me."

"At that point, I was scared, scared that I would lose you, WALL-E, and right after I finally fell in love with you. I was panicking, but you weren't."

"I knew that we had to get back to earth so that I could be fixed. You know what else made me and REX brothers? We could learn and adapt to our surroundings. We knew how to survive."

"You taught me that, learning. Watching you take care of me, it taught me love. It told me you were my true love."

"We never had to say _I love you_ to each other. We fell in love because of our actions, our choices." WALL-E brandished their hands again. "Eva, this means _I love you._ I don't want to do it differently. This is how I say _I love you_ with all my heart."

EVE whimpered slightly in joy. WALL-E was stating how he really wanted to express his love for her, just by holding hands. EVE felt so much love for WALL-E because of his care. He was everything a girl could dream for.

"It's our way," EVE then said. "We don't need to speak perfectly, we don't need these devices. Holding your hand is all I need to say _I love you._ You're my WALL-E."

"Yes, Eva. I will be yours forever. All that I ever wanted was to be with you, ever since the beginning. We don't need these because we don't need to talk perfectly to express our love."

"I believe you, WALL-E. I always have."

"Then we can get rid of them."

"Wait! Can we just use them to have a conversation? Please?"

WALL-E was quiet, he just stared at her with a loving expression. EVE was puzzled.

"WALL-E, are you okay?"

WALL-E shook himself back into his senses. "Sorry Eva. You just look so cute when you ask me for something."

EVE giggled. "Stop it, WALL-E. You're too much for a girl like me."

WALL-E laughed. "I can't help it. You're just _so_ adorable to look at."

EVE giggled again, then gave WALL-E a loving spark-kiss. WALL-E sighed happily, then started speaking random gibberish. It made EVE laugh again. WALL-E was sweet.

WALL-E eventually came back to his senses, his speech returning to normal. "I can't comprehend how nice that feels. I really like it."

"You're getting more where that came from," EVE said. "Believe it."

"Is that a promise or a threat?"

"I'm not telling."

The two robots laughed. EVE couldn't even begin to describe how much joy she was feeling. WALL-E was everything she could dream of, maybe even more.

"You know," WALL-E then said. "Why don't we hold onto these? We can always have a good chat every once in a while."

"Anything for you, WALL-E." EVE replied.

They both looked at the sunset. EVE checked her clock, 6:55. There was still time to kill.

"Eva," WALL-E said to her. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"As a matter of fact, there is."

The two then began to talk throughout the sunset. They talked about small stuff (what they liked, what they didn't like, their hobbies, and so forth). They told each other what they used to do back before they met. They even shared secrets about REX and the sisters.

EVE was enjoying this, but she didn't need it. If she ever wanted to say _I love you_ to WALL-E, she only needed to hold his hand. That was their meaning of love, and it always will be.

They continued to talk as time went by. They were so distracted in conversing with each other that they didn't notice nightfall coming.

Eventually, WALL-E turned to look at the moon. "It's so beautiful, but not as beautiful as you."

"Oh WALL-E," EVE gave him a loving hug. "Always be mine."

"Always."

WALL-E then help up his communicator as EVE did the same. "Back to our old ways of limited speech now. Ready Eva?"

"When you are, WALL-E."

They pushed the buttons on their communicators in a synchronous movement. The devices flickered, then shut off the blue light they were emanating.

EVE looked back at WALL-E. "Better?"

"Uh-huh."

EVE actually found their limited speech much better. It sounded so familiar, so friendly. She preferred their lives like this, and WALL-E did too.

"Home?" WALL-E then said.

"Home." EVE answered.

They got off the bench and then proceeded to make their way home. EVE diligently took WALL-E's hand in hers and continued to hold it as they headed toward the truck.

They traveled the darkened streets along the way. Because of the absence of trash, they had no trouble navigating through without accidentally running into something. EVE wondered what they would do when the earth was clean. Would she settle down, maybe have some kids with WALL-E and live a real family life?

It didn't matter. All that EVE wanted was to be with WALL-E. Her true friend, her lover.

They continued on until they got to the truck. It was already open, but REX and Neon weren't inside. They must be on the roof, they always liked sleeping on the roof.

WALL-E took off his treads and hung them while EVE closed the ramp door and fed Hal. Then, the two set up _Hello Dolly_ and proceeded to watch it.

As _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ played, WALL-E took the communicators and set them next to the VCR. He turned back to EVE and smiled lovingly at her. EVE smiled back and beckoned for him to come to her. He did so, and she barraged him with affection after seizing him in a hug.

WALL-E sighed happily and held EVE by the waist. The feel of his dirty claws relaxed EVE as he touched her. She always liked being close to him.

Then, the slow playing tune of _It Only Takes a Moment_ began to play. The song immediately caught their attention, causing them to turn and watch it.

The two characters in the movie began to hold hands. As they did so, WALL-E and EVE held each other's hands and stared at each other.

WALL-E lifted their intertwined hands. "E-vah."

"Always." EVE said. "My . . . WALL-E."

WALL-E and EVE then leaned their heads together and closed their eyes. They only took in each other's presence as the song's closing point played, relishing in each other's love.

WALL-E was right. They didn't need to talk perfectly to express their love. They only needed to hold the other's hand. That was how they said _I love you_ to each other. That was how they wanted it.

Because to them, _that is all that love's about._


	11. Conspiracy

Who could imagine work could be fun?

WALL-E handed REX a large bucket of concrete mix, then watched him pass it on to the construction crew, who were working on the roof of the shelter.

Work had certainly changed nowadays. The _Atlas_ had numerous machines and materials that really benefitted the humans in their recolonizing efforts. Using supremely advanced construction equipment, the construction crew was able to successfully create over fifty fully functioning shelters for the humans to live in only five days.

What WALL-E enjoyed the most about working was that his family and friends were assisting the construction crew, which consisted of several humans from the _Atlas._ The WALL-A's were now assigned to WALL-E's old job of compacting trash, and EVE didn't have to monitor the plant life because several humans volunteered to do it instead. So now, along with REX, Neon, the sisters, the rogues, and several other humans, they helped build the homes that the humans would live in.

WALL-E watched as the construction crew got to work using vehicles that looked like giant green raindrops with two large claws on the sides and several inner compartments on all sides that holstered numerous tools for handling different tasks with building a shelter. The vehicles were also extremely advanced as they were capable of flying so they could work on higher levels of the shelters and the roofs. Using only five vehicles, the crew got the roof of the shelter they were working on properly constructed in just ten minutes (and the building was over fifty feet in diameter and height).

"Hey," one of the workers called out. "We're out of building materials."

"Hang on," another one said. "Let's bring in the tankers."

The tankers were giant vehicles that were capable of breaking down any non-organic object and transforming it into another material entirely. They used the giant trash towers WALL-E had built in his past life as the proper sustenance to make building materials.

Soon enough, one tanker arrived on the scene. The vehicle stood over thirty feet high and forty five feet long and ran on large treads. It was a thick blue color and shaped almost like a rectangle, except the ends were rounded. WALL-E noticed a man come out of the door at the side of the tanker in a labor uniform.

"Allright, who needs more supplies?"

WALL-E and REX strode up to the man and greeted him. REX explained to him that they needed more structural frames and concrete to finish the day's work.

"Sure thing," the man looked at WALL-E and smiled. "Since they're your towers, you can pick which one I can demolish."

WALL-E eagerly pointed to the nearest trash tower. The man nodded, then went back into the tanker and began to drive it towards the tower.

The humans of the _Atlas_ were very friendly. Captain Talon had told them about WALL-E's adventure after he heard the whole thing from EVE and REX. They respected WALL-E for being a hard worker and liked to let him do some of their jobs for his personal enjoyment.

EVE came over and picked up WALL-E, then flew up high into the air to give him a view of the tanker's work. The tanker came up to the tower and its top opened up. Using a powerful vacuum, the tanker sucked in the trash cubes that made up the tower into the giant hole until there was nothing left, then the hole closed up.

EVE flew back down with WALL-E and set him down next to REX. REX gave him a friendly push and smiled. "They never had this kind of tech in my past life. The people on the _Atlas_ were busy over the last seven hundred years."

WALL-E buzzed in agreement. The tech the construction crew was using was extremely advanced. The only possibility for how they got that kind of tech was that they developed it themselves.

The tanker shook and rumbled as it was processing and altering the trash into building materials for them to use. The rumbling noise it made was very loud.

After a few minutes, the tanker stopped shaking. The side of the vehicle opened up and out came various building materials on storage racks. The whole group started to swarm upon the materials. WALL-E grabbed several small sheets of hardened concrete while REX took several support frames. EVE, the sisters, the rogues, and the other humans grabbed the remaining materials and took them to the construction vehicles.

All that they were assigned to do was just provide the supplies to the construction crew and they would handle the rest. WALL-E thought he wasn't doing enough, but McCrea told him that thanks to the surplus of labor force and the advanced tech the _Atlas_ provided, the work he was doing was more than enough.

The vehicles opened up in the underside, which was where the supplies went. Several conveyor belts stretched out and began rolling while three humans came out of each vehicle and gave instructions.

"You all know what to do," one of them said. "Get the materials on the conveyors and we'll handle the rest."

WALL-E went to a conveyor belt and placed his cargo on it. REX, EVE, and Neon placed their loads on the same belt while everyone else placed theirs on different belts. WALL-E watched as the building materials moved down the conveyor and disappeared into the vehicle.

One man came up to WALL-E. "Wanna take the Rounder for a spin?"

"Is that what they're called?" REX asked. "That seems unusual."

"I didn't give it the name, my boss did." The man turned back to WALL-E. "So how 'bout it?"

WALL-E whistled cheerfully to show he wanted to. He liked watching the Rounders do their work because they were so effective in it. It would most certainly be fun if he could use one for once.

The man led him to the entry door of the Rounder. Because of the Rounder's height, the cockpit was about twenty feet above the surface and a tractor beam was used to take the crew into it. WALL-E was lifted gently by the beam as it pulled him up in the air and into the Rounder's cockpit.

The room was wider than he expected. There were three desks with seats in front of them and had all sorts of holographic buttons and levers that WALL-E couldn't understand. There was also a large viewscreen which (obviously) would be used by the pilots so they could see what they were doing.

WALL-E looked out through the large viewscreen in front of him. He could see a lot from the height he was at, again because of the Rounder's height. He saw several humans and robots moving in the distance, all working on their respective tasks.

EVE suddenly flew up to the viewscreen and waved at him enthusiastically. WALL-E waved back, which made her giggle, then she flew to one of the large claws and perched herself on it.

WALL-E watched EVE for some time until the man he was talking to earlier came in with two other men. The man came up to WALL-E and introduced himself.

"Hey WALL-E, nice to meet you. I'm James, and this is Mike and Phil. I work the controls of the Rounder while Mike manages supply distribution and Phil oversees the vehicle's inner workings for any mechanical errors."

Mike and Phil nodded to WALL-E, then went to their respective desks while James picked up WALL-E and placed him in the seat of the last desk.

"The Rounder is pretty complicated," James said. "So make sure you follow my directions carefully."

"Okay." WALL-E responded. He clapped enthusiastically to show some good spirit, but accidentally twisted a lever, which made the claw EVE was perched on suddenly jerk.

EVE quickly flew off the claw and gave WALL-E an irritated glare through the Rounder's viewscreen. WALL-E knew she was going to get him for that later.

"She shouldn't have been there in the first place," James said, snickering slightly. "The claws are sensitive."

WALL-E still partially boxed up as EVE continued glaring at him. She then flew in through the entry door and gave him a sloppy spark-kiss, which stunned him for some amount of time he couldn't keep track of. Once again has EVE shown the torturous side of her affection.

When WALL-E regained his senses, he noticed REX and Neon in the room as well. They must've come in when he was dazed.

"I wanted to see how you do," REX said. "Neon followed me in."

Neon made an embarrassed giggle, then gave REX a loving hug. It was now obvious that she loved REX as much as EVE loved WALL-E. They weren't that much different anymore.

WALL-E then turned back to the controls as EVE floated to his side. She put her hand on his shoulder section as James gave him directions on what to do. In the distance, the other Rounders were already working on another shelter. They had the structural frames and the bottom floor already constructed. Rounders were supremely advanced seeing that they could accomplish everything a settlement building needed, including plumbing, wiring, and even insulation.

WALL-E carefully followed James' instructions, using the appropriate controls that James directed him on. The Rounder began to lift up and float towards the partially-completed building. Through the use of the correct controls and James' supervision, WALL-E soon got the Rounder into building the outer walls while also establishing plumbing and wiring using the vehicle's plethora of tools.

"He's not that bad, actually." James said to REX. "Got it down pretty quick."

"My brother learns fast." REX replied. "Don't know how, but he does."

"WALL-E . . . smart." EVE said cheerfully.

WALL-E felt proud. He was never congratulated back during his original job (mainly because he worked only with his real brothers, and they weren't sentient at the time). EVE gave him some appreciation during their first days together as a couple, and it made him feel good. To be given positive comments by people other than EVE felt just as great.

WALL-E continued to work with the Rounder for a few more minutes until James took over. He obviously had extensive experience with the Rounder's controls, as he manipulated them with such precision only a pro could have.

"So how do the shelters' interiors get set up?" REX asked James.

"We have another team that designs the interior," James answered. "They're scheduled to work on it tomorrow."

"Effective technology, manageable schedule, and excellent planning. You guys were prepared for this kind of event to happen, weren't you?"

"I gotta tell ya, we didn't mess around with using our time on the _Atlas._ Everyone was hopeful about returning home, and they were willing to work hard to bring it back to its former glory."

After about thirty minutes, the shelter was finished. WALL-E was amazed at how quickly they could make them. At this rate, the earth would be clean in no time.

James turned in his seat and looked at the robot family. "Well, that finishes the day's work." He turned to WALL-E. "Nice work there, buddy."

WALL-E whistled in gratitude to James. EVE then came over and picked him up for an affectionate hug.

"Some people in the _Atlas_ can't comprehend those two falling in love." James said.

"Have they met WALL-E and EVE?" REX replied.

"No."

"My point exactly."

WALL-E hung limp in EVE's hold as she continued to give him affection. Now that the day's work was done, he could get back to doing what he loved doing: being with EVE and his family.

"C'mon," REX said. "Let's go for a walk."

The robot family exited the Rounder, saying goodbye to James, Mike, and Phil as they left. Outside the sisters and the rogues took off to do something WALL-E wasn't sure of.

They walked down the now-cleaned streets, WALL-E held EVE's hand and REX held Neon's as they went. Most of the city's streets were completely trash-free thanks to the work of the WALL-As and some _Atlas_ vehicles designed specifically for trash-cleaning. While WALL-E liked seeing a cleaner environment, he missed finding items of interest among the garbage. He'd done that in the past 700 years as a hobby, finding treasures was his passion.

Humans and robots wandered about as the family continued on their stroll. Thanks to the _Atlas,_ work progressed much smoother and everyone didn't have to work so hard. WALL-E made a mental note to thank Captain Talon for helping them. Because of their easy work schedule, WALL-E had more time to be with the ones he loved (EVE, to be specific).

WALL-E then took notice of EVE, REX, and Neon exchanging glances. Being with them for more than a week now, WALL-E could tell most of the time what his family members were thinking. It looked like they had a secret, which made him curious.

He tugged gently on EVE's hand to ask her what they had in mind. She told him to wait because it was a surprise set up specifically for him.

WALL-E wondered what the surprise was. He anxiously wanted to find out, but 700 years on the earth taught him patience. He could wait.

They continued on. They seemed to be moving out of the active cleaning areas as WALL-E noticed scattered debris along the ground. They were moving to the areas that the cleaning team and the WALL-As haven't been to.

Seeing the debris reminded WALL-E of the Treasure Trove, his favorite hangout spot and also where they met REX for the first time. About three days ago, the cleaning crew and the WALL-As cleared out the area, removing WALL-E's makeshift entertainment sections. The next day, the construction crew moved in and built several shelters, making the Treasure Trove no longer existent.

WALL-E went through a small depression because of the loss of his favorite hangout spot. However, it didn't last long thanks to his family. EVE and Neon gave him comforting hugs throughout the day while REX said he would try to get him another hangout. WALL-E didn't actually want another hangout, Blackwing HQ was perfectly fine because his family and friends were there too, but REX insisted that he do so. His brother was persistent because he cared.

They continued on until WALL-E noticed that they were leaving the city. There were no more buildings and just giant mountains of untouched trash. This was an area WALL-E had never been before: the far outskirts of the city.

The trash mountains were huge, some stretching over sixty feet in height. WALL-E probably would've gone into shock if he had to compact the trash himself. There was so much.

EVE pulled WALL-E through the trash mountains with excitement shining on her face. That had to mean they were getting close.

Eventually, they arrived at a large fence. The fence stretched out far to the left and right with a gate where the family was at. WALL-E looked at a sign above the gate and it read in black paint: "Property of WALL-E."

WALL-E stared at the sign in bewilderment. He was so focused on what it said that he didn't notice EVE pick him up for an affectionate hug.

"We made some arrangements," REX said. "And got this section reserved only for you, WALL-E. You're free to do whatever you want inside that fence."

WALL-E was excited. His family arranged a large cluster of trash purely for him. He couldn't even imagine how many trinkets were inside his newly-gotten property.

REX opened the gate and stood to the side. "Knock yourself out."

WALL-E quickly dashed in once EVE set him down. He looked around and saw miles of trash (with possible collectibles) covering the grounds. Excitement ran through his mind as he surveyed the area for a good place to start treasure hunting.

But before he could start, WALL-E turned back to the gate and saw EVE, REX, and Neon standing by it, smiling. He dashed up to them and gave each one of them a hug in gratitude.

WALL-E was so grateful to have a family. EVE and her sister Neon always made him feel happy because of how caring they were, and REX, his brother, helped WALL-E face the pain of his past and overcome it. In WALL-E's life, EVE was all he wanted, but he was given more.

He loved his life. He loved his family.

* * *

"Epsilon, I have to discuss the food supply management for the work teams with McCrea. I won't be back for a while."

Epsilon gave a salute to the holographic image of Captain Talon, which was broadcasting from the _Axiom_ since he was there discussing with Captain McCrea about how recolonization would progress.

"Yes sir." Epsilon said before the link was cut.

Epsilon was put in charge of monitoring the _Atlas's_ condition while Talon worked with McCrea to handle recolonization. Rebuilding the earth was important, but making sure the _Atlas_ was still ship-shape was equally important. They might need to use it again.

Epsilon went over to the pilot's dashboard and started checking numerous systems, sending maintenance bots to any ship functions that were having problems.

_Engines: fully functioning. Oxygen tanks: 100% purified. Regenerative food rations: minor disruption in distribution process; sending regionals to handle problem._

The humans of the _Atlas_ didn't refer to the ship's robots by their abbreviations. Rather, they gave them nicknames to make it easier to address. The regionals were tech bots that accessed any electronic interface to correct problems it was having.

What Epsilon respected about the _Atlas_ humans were that they upgraded the robots in the past while they were in space. Some were given extra appendages, others got better movement processors, and there were even robots with small defense weaponry for safety purposes. Epsilon was given a reinforced frame that could withstand blunt impacts and a second tazer in one of his spokes.

He continued through the _Atlas'_ systems' check. So far, there were only minor problems here and there. A little bit of routine maintenance and the ship would be good to go (if they ever go again).

Epsilon thought about contacting Auto for a friendly conversation after he was finished. He and Auto used to talk frequently in the past, but A113 changed all that. Auto's persistence with supporting that directive caused them to break contact because Epsilon wasn't as enthusiastic in supporting it. Auto was dedicated to his directive, but he tended to go overboard in his dedication.

Epsilon continued through the checklist. Everything looked fine until he saw something that made him shriek in surprise . . . and fear.

_Cryostasis chamber: empty. Canopy release switch activated approximately ten minutes ago._

Someone had released the Prophet from his sleep. The Prophet was awake.

Epsilon was shocked. Who would do something like this? Talon specifically ordered everyone to abandon the Prophet in cryostasis. They both knew he was too dangerous to have around.

Epsilon quickly keyed in a link the _Axiom_ on the dashboard. He had to let Auto know what had happened. He had to let Captain Talon know what had happened.

"Hello, Epsilon."

Epsilon turned around to see Keller standing by the elevator. Keller was sporting a black eye and a brace on his right leg. Talon had informed Epsilon of the military robot REX and the decking he gave Keller. No doubt this was his work.

"Keller," Epsilon hissed. "I should've known it was you."

Keller limped in his direction with a malicious and sinister grin on his face. Epsilon readied his dual tazers in case Keller was going to try something. It was also mainly because of Epsilon's secret hatred of Keller. That human supremacy belief of his was intolerable in Epsilon's mind.

"That hurts," Keller said, almost mockingly. "I thought we were friends, Epsilon."

"We never were. You always thought of me as inferior with that human supremacy belief you had. You should be lucky the Captain gave you a second chance. If it were up to me, you would be rotting away in the brig."

Keller limped around the room with that grin still on his face. Epsilon followed his movements, ready to attack if Keller provoked him.

"Epsilon, why can't you see? The Prophet is our savior. He will bring us into a new era. The condition we are in now, we can't survive without his help."

"Captain Talon specifically ordered that the Prophet remain in cryostasis. He must not come out."

Keller's grin dropped into a frown. "You still obey that old fool?"

"That old fool is my _only_ superior. I take orders from none other than him."

"Then that makes you defective, Epsilon. I have no choice but to shut you down."

Epsilon had enough. He brought out his dual tazers and charged them to full power. "Just try it."

Keller suddenly started laughing. It confused Epsilon. _Why would he laugh?_ He couldn't win in a fight against Epsilon in his current state. Keller would be cooked meat once Epsilon gave him a lethal shock.

Then, Epsilon heard another voice behind him. One he once heard far back in the past, when the _Atlas_ first left the planet.

"Unfortunately for you, you have no say in my plans."

Before Epsilon could react, he was suddenly ensnared in a tractor beam. He was forced around to see a figure back in an unlit section of the room with the tractor beam emanating from their arm. But that wasn't the only person, another figure slightly ahead of the dark one with bright gold armor and a faceless helmet stared at him. None other than the Prophet.

"No." Epsilon said in fear. He couldn't express emotions, but he was afraid. The Prophet was a killer, a sociopath. He killed people in the ancient war if they interfered with his plans or if they outlived their usefulness. Epsilon even heard rumors that he killed just for fun.

"The Syndicate will rise again," the Prophet said. His voice was electronically distorted, hiding the identity of the man inside. "We shall bring the earth to a new age."

"No, I can't let you. You will bring mankind down."

The Prophet stared at him. The faceless mask gave no hint of whatever emotion the man inside was having. It scared Epsilon.

"I do not require your opinion," he said. "I already have an army ready to do my bidding. My followers shall prosper, but the nonbelievers will perish."

Epsilon couldn't believe the lies. The Prophet was rumored to have said those things just to get loyal followers to do his work. The Syndicate army wasn't just compiled of robotic drones and soulless criminals, there were also misled individuals who fell for his lies and fought for them. Epsilon couldn't allow the Prophet to exist because he would lead humanity to their doom.

And what the BnL autopilots were taught is that humanity must be protected, _at all costs._

Epsilon glared back at the Prophet with newly gained confidence. "You will not succeed."

The Prophet then lifted his hand and reached for Epsilon's shutoff switch. Epsilon struggled as hard as he could, but the tractor beam was too strong, he couldn't break out.

"I already have."

Epsilon's world began to fade into darkness. He felt only grief as he began to shutdown. The Prophet was out, and Epsilon couldn't warn anyone in time. Everyone was in danger.

He had failed humanity.

* * *

WALL-E relaxed on a comfy (but dirty) mattress he found among the trash. EVE laid beside him, stroking his optics while humming _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ next to his head. Her voice was so magical, WALL-E could just listen to it his entire life.

REX and Neon were off wandering the city, having their own private time. REX said that everyone should meet back at the truck when they were done. It was mid-afternoon, but it seemed that nighttime would hit pretty fast. They would make the most out of this day.

WALL-E rolled over to face EVE. He took one of her hands in his and gave her a loving stare. EVE smiled, then gave him a tender spark-kiss along with an affectionate nuzzle. WALL-E loved how EVE showed her affection. It always felt nice.

"E-vah." WALL-E cooed to her.

EVE giggled, then gave him another spark-kiss and leaned her head into his.

"I love you." She whispered to him.

"I . . . love . . . you." WALL-E immediately replied.

Holding hands was their prominent way of saying _I love you_ to each other. WALL-E just liked saying it in his natural speech. Those telepathic communicators weren't necessary to make their lovelife better. WALL-E liked it as it is.

The two lovers continued their romantic moment, enjoying each other's attention. WALL-E could just stay here all day. He would always be with EVE. She was what made his life worth living.

They continued on with their romance until WALL-E heard what sounded like the faint whirring of a hover system. He sat up and saw Angel in front of them, judging from her facial expression, she needed to ask them something.

WALL-E and EVE got up and greeted Angel. Angel gave WALL-E a friendly hug and smiled at him. Out of all the sisters, WALL-E liked Angel the most. She was more mild-mannered in her behavior, more controlled in her actions; unlike Izzy or Vi, who were more playful and energetic.

"EVE?" Angel asked.

"Hmm?"

"Captain . . . help." Angel pointed back to the city. The Captain needed EVE's help with something so he sent Angel for her.

EVE turned back to WALL-E with a disappointed look, definitely saying that she wanted to be with him some more.

WALL-E gave EVE a gentle hug. "Go E-vah," He certainly didn't mind her being away for a short time. "Meet . . . truck."

"Okay." EVE replied. She gave WALL-E a parting spark-kiss, then took off with Angel towards the city. WALL-E watched her fly through the air until she disappeared in the distance. He sighed to himself, then started to make his way back to the city, closing the gate as he left his new hangout.

WALL-E wandered through the empty streets as he reached the city. It was so quiet. He had long forgotten what it was like to be alone. EVE never left his side, and once REX and Neon came along, they never left either. It felt strange to be alone for the first time in a long time.

He continued on through the streets, playing _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ on his recorder to keep himself in a good mood. WALL-E thought about cleaning up some of the little groups of trash for old times' sake, but immediately disregarded it. Compacting trash no longer became his directive, his family was.

A few moments later, WALL-E heard footsteps. A lot of them. He switched off his recorder and followed the sound as his natural curiosity overtook him.

It was probably some humans just finishing up their work. Usually at this time people would be done with their assigned tasks for the day and would make their way back to the respective ship they lived in. WALL-E thought about giving them a friendly greeting before he went back to the truck to wait for his family.

But then, WALL-E heard clanking metal. The extremely loud _clank-clank-clank_ startled him, making him immediately run into a nearby building for cover. It wasn't until a few seconds afterwards that he noticed the sound was getting louder. Whatever was making that sound, it was coming in his direction.

WALL-E dashed into a dark covering and boxed up, putting one hand over his charge display to shield the light. REX's stealth training really helped WALL-E. Breaking his claustrophobia and learning how to hide extremely well certainly aided him in the long run. He owed one to his brother.

The clanking got louder. WALL-E flinched with each _clank_ as he struggled not to shake in fear. The sound of it was not one he recognized, and it sounded so sinister.

WALL-E slowly brought out his head to see what was going on. It took all of the willpower he had to keep himself from shrieking at what he saw:

There were several menacing-looking figures walking the streets in a four-line formation. Human by shape, but robotic in appearance. They were completely grey in color, with glowing red eyes and small fangs in their mouths. They had razor-sharp claws on their hands that screeched whenever they scrapped against something. On their chests was a symbol: a scorpion with its tail wrapped around a sword, forming an S.

WALL-E remained completely still as the figures walked by, completely unaware of his presence. There were so many of them. He counted more than thirty in the group, and the numbers were still growing. As the numbers increased, he shook slightly more in fear.

He waited until the group passed by, then slowly crept out and moved quietly in the other direction. WALL-E had to tell REX of this. His brother would know what to do.

But then, WALL-E heard a high-pitched shrieking sound. He turned around and saw five of those things running at him, claws drawn and showing intent to kill.

WALL-E screamed and took off. He darted through the streets with the creatures in hot pursuit. He cut through empty buildings and alleys in efforts to lose them, but the creatures showed they weren't intent on losing their prey.

But he seemed to be outrunning them. As he exited a building and out onto an empty street, WALL-E took a quick look back and noticed the creatures farther behind. Their humanoid legs couldn't match the speed of his treads.

WALL-E immediately shouted as loud as he could for EVE and REX. He needed their help; they could fight off the creatures.

As he rounded the corner of a building, he saw a white egg-shaped figure in the distance with its back to him. Figuring it was EVE, he dashed full speed at the probe in hopes of finding help.

"E-vah!"

WALL-E dashed up to EVE, extremely frightened and in desperate need of her help. But just before he got to her, she turned around and showed purple eyeforms. It wasn't EVE, it was Vi.

"WALL-E?" Vi said in confusion. Before she could react, WALL-E slammed into her, knocking them both to the ground. Her confused look immediately changed to annoyed.

But WALL-E didn't have time to be nagged. He hastily pointed behind him, just as the robots came around. Vi's eyes grew wide in surprise, then she pulled WALL-E behind her and drew out her cannon.

"WALL-E!" Vi shouted in an authoritive tone that sounded unlike her. "Back!"

WALL-E didn't need telling twice. He hung behind Vi as she readied her cannon on the oncoming robots. They were running full speed at them, wildly swinging their claws and snarling like rabid animals.

Vi opened fire. The muzzle of her ion cannon fired off several blue balls at the creatures as they came up to them. Several shots made contact, blowing apart the body parts that got hit.

But the creatures were dodging some of the shots with incredible speed. Vi took down four of the five robots, but the last one got too close. It barreled into them, knocking WALL-E away while pinning Vi to the ground.

Vi screamed in fear. She tried to bring her cannon to fire at the creature, but it had her gun pinned to the ground with one arm while it brought the other one up to deliver the kill.

In that instant, WALL-E heard REX. Not from a distance, but in his mind. One of REX's training advice repeated itself in his head.

_Control your fear; use it against your enemy._

Then, WALL-E was enraged. He dashed full speed at the creature and body-slammed into it. The force of his impact knocked the creature off of Vi so she could recover and deliver the finishing blow with a shot to its head.

WALL-E thought their battle was over, but then he heard more shrieks. Several more robots came from around a street corner and sprinted at them. The rest of the group must've heard the battle.

"Run!" Vi shouted. Although it didn't have much meaning, as she picked up WALL-E and took off towards the _Axiom._ Vi was the quickest of her sisters (hence the reason she was a gunrunner) and her speed immediately left the creatures in the dust. However, WALL-E could see that those things weren't intent on giving up the chase, they still kept running.

Vi kept flying until they ran into REX, EVE, and the remaining sisters. REX had his bonnie hat strapped, his assault rifle drawn, and his clothing changed to a tan digital camouflage pattern, matching the current surroundings. EVE and the sisters all had their cannons drawn and flashing.

"We heard the screams," REX said, there was a slight hint of fear in his voice. "What's going on?"

Vi immediately responded. "Creatures . . . attack WALL-E!"

EVE shrieked in fear, then snatched WALL-E away from Vi and gave him a protective hug. WALL-E felt relieved to be in EVE's arms, but those creatures were still out there. They weren't safe right now.

Sure enough, the robots appeared. They shrieked and sprinted towards the group, wildly swinging their claws. REX's eyes grew big in shock, then he dropped to one knee and aimed his assault rifle.

"Fire!" He shouted. "Fire!"

REX unloaded with his assault rifle just as EVE and her sisters fired with their cannons. The creatures were either blown apart by an ion blast or ripped to pieces by a rapid bullet barrage from the attacks. They kept on coming, but were just being torn up by the advanced weaponry of REX and the girls.

WALL-E stood back as the battle went on. Besides his cutting laser, he had no defensive equipment; not to mention REX's training made him more of a sabotage expert rather than a fighter. He could do nothing but watch.

The creatures were dropping quickly, but somehow still closing the distance. More of them were coming from around corners and sprinting blindly into the robot team's fire, making it seem like their numbers weren't dropping.

Almost seconds before the creatures were right on top of them, EVE picked up WALL-E and hovered about twenty feet above the ground with Angel, Izzy, and Vi while Neon stayed on ground level with REX and engaged the creatures in close-combat with her partner. They fought side-by-side with Neon's arms practically becoming swords as she swung them with quick and precise swings at the robots while REX drew his knife and began cutting them up with it. REX showed that he was fighting extremely aggressive as he plunged his knife into the chest of one of the creatures and brutally tore it out through the side, ripping out a mess of wires and metal pieces from the robot's inner workings

Several of the creatures converged on REX. One slashed at his face, cutting his skin. REX didn't seem to notice as he responded with a brutal series of knife-slashes on the drone, then grabbed its head with one hand and ripped it off. The gashes on his face began healing on their own, no doubt the work of his self-healing nanobots.

Then REX unveiled yet another weapons feature: his mechanical arm altered into what looked like a double-bladed sword with a reaching distance of five feet. Then with his sword arm and his knife in the other hand, REX started tearing apart the creatures with quick swings of the blades that also gave the hint of aggression. REX was fighting with such violence that made him seem like a completely different person. WALL-E sometimes forgot that his caring older brother was also a merciless killer when he was provoked.

Then, as quickly as the battle started, it was over. Several robotic body parts lay scattered about. One creature missing its legs tried to crawl towards WALL-E as he was put back on the ground with EVE, but REX put it down by crushing its head under his foot.

The loud tone of REX's voice made WALL-E jump. He was complete authority now; probably what he was back during his war career. "WALL-E, did you see where they came from?"

WALL-E pointed in the direction he ran from, then quickly went to EVE and buried his head into her chest. Being chased by those vicious creatures scared him half to death, and the possibility of more of them out there scared him even more.

"That's where the _Atlas_ is," REX said with irritation. Clearly he was angry about his family being endangered. "Everyone, back to the _Axiom!_ NOW!"

EVE picked up WALL-E and flew back to the _Axiom_ with the sisters and REX following. No doubt she was worried as she was holding him tight. WALL-E couldn't imagine what was going through EVE's mind since he was close to death yet again, but it had to be bad.

But now, what were those things that attacked them? They didn't look BnL design, and there was no one out there WALL-E knew that had malicious intents. For what reason would there be robots made to kill running around?

There needed to be answers.

* * *

In REX's life, there were four stages of anger for him: mad, furious, enraged, and pissed off. He must've discovered a fifth stage, because he was more than pissed right now.

He recognized those robots. They were Syndicate slasher drones. They were used in the early days of the Control Wars on defenseless towns to inspire fear with ruthless genocides on the innocent. They showed how cold the Syndicate could be by their lack of emotion. _True robots,_ as REX would call them.

And WALL-E said they came from the direction of the _Atlas._ Was that the Captain's secret? That the ship was infested with Syndicate forces?

The group got inside the _Axiom_ and headed towards the Lido Deck. REX wasted no time in making his way to the elevator to the captain's quarters. Talon was up there with McCrea, and he needed to start talking.

"REX?"

Neon's voice stopped him dead. When he turned to her, she pointed to WALL-E, who was shaking in fear while EVE and her sisters were giving him hugs in a desperate attempt to calm him down.

"Stay with them, Neon." REX ordered her. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

Neon nodded, then gave REX a loving hug and spark-kiss before going to the rest to help calm WALL-E down.

REX made his way to the elevator and took it up. He was burning with rage. Why was he not told of this issue? His family's safety was put on the line. He needed answers _now._

The doors opened after a few seconds. REX quickly stepped out to see McCrea and Talon looking at him with surprised faces.

"What's going on?" Talon asked.

REX pulled out his pistol and centered it on Talon's face. He had every intention to shoot, but first he needed answers.

"You tell me." REX growled. "What are you hiding?"

"What are you talking abou-"

"You know _damn_ well what I'm talking about! What are you doing with Syndicate drones?"

"Whoa REX," McCrea cut in. "Take it easy."

"WALL-E was attacked out there by them!" REX was not going to take it easy, not when his family's safety was compromised. "Talon needs to explain everything _now!_ "

Talon dropped his head and let out a sigh. REX still kept his pistol on his head. He wouldn't fall for any kind of weakness.

"Fine," Talon said. "I'll give you the short version. The _Atlas_ has the Prophet. Long in the past, he was snuck aboard the ship and took control. An army was built and he planned to conquer the earth upon return."

REX's jaw dropped. The Prophet was the Syndicate leader and his sworn enemy. That man had killed several of REX's friends in the war, and sometimes taunted him about it. He was at the top of REX's hitlist, and REX had made it his personal mission to make sure he was dead.

"What are you doing with him?" REX barked. "How is he still alive?"

"Cryogenic storage, but I never planned on bringing him out. I swear."

REX had a built-in lie detector that he used for interrogations back during the war, and right now he was using it on Talon. It was saying that he was telling the truth, and Talon's desperate face proved that even more.

REX replaced his pistol and calmed down slightly. "Okay."

"Wait a second?" McCrea blurted. "You said the drones were in storage and never intended to be brought out. Jasper, what's going on?"

"I don't know. They shouldn't be out. This shouldn't be happening."

"Contact Epsilon."

Talon put his wristcuff up to his mouth. REX kept watch on him. He needed to know everything right now.

"Epsilon . . . Epsilon, come in . . . Epsilon. Nothing. He's not answering."

McCrea then went into the elevator. REX and Talon followed him in. They took it up to the pilot's room, where Auto was watching them curiously.

"Auto," McCrea said. "Can you contact Epsilon?"

"One moment." Auto went to the control board and started pressing numerous buttons. Several of them flashed red and made a loud buzzing sound.

"Negative," Auto spoke. "Epsilon's communication link has been shut down."

REX heard Talon made a nervous gulp. "Not good. Epsilon oversaw the Prophet's condition, something happened to him."

McCrea's eyes widened. "You don't think-"

"I fear it is. The Prophet is awake, and his army is ready."

"No." REX was scared now. His past was coming back to haunt him. Why did this have to happen? REX had a family now; their lives were in danger because of the Prophet's presence. He couldn't lose anymore loved ones, he couldn't.

"Alert," Auto suddenly cut in. "Incoming feed from the _Atlas._ "

"Must be the Prophet himself." REX said. "Put it through. We need to know for sure."

McCrea and Talon stood in front of the monitor that came up from nowhere while REX hid behind the elevator. If the Prophet really was here, it would work to REX's advantage if he had the element of surprise. Stealth wins the battle every time.

The monitor's screen lit up. On it was a faceless golden helmet that REX recognized all too easily. The Prophet himself.

"Hello, Captains." The Prophet's electronically distorted voice filled REX with anger. "I thank you for bringing me to a new world."

 _Monologues and talking in a mocking tone._ That was how the Prophet acted. The Prophet acted like some cartoon super villain, but he was really a psychopath. He killed without pity and did whatever it took to achieve his goals. Since some of his actions included the deaths of BnL military personnel, REX had a personal vendetta against him.

"How are you awake?" Talon growled. "I gave the order to keep you frozen."

"Oh, simple really: your chief technician, or should I say my acting commander now?"

"Keller, I should've known."

McCrea jumped in. "What do you want, you monster?"

The Prophet just looked at him. No emotion could be expressed with that helmet on. That was another reason he was feared in the Control Wars. REX wasn't afraid of him, because he had more hate than fear.

"Just an offer," the Prophet spoke calmly. "Join me, and embrace in a new era of humankind."

"And if we refuse?"

The Prophet laughed. "Then you will suffer the consequences."

The link was cut. REX came out of his hiding spot and joined the Captains.

"What now?" McCrea asked.

"Talon," REX said. "What are the strengths of this army?"

"Standard Syndicate slashers. About 10,000 of them. But there may be some humans allied with the Prophet too."

"A low number. The Prophet was expecting to return to earth when it was ruined. He didn't expect resistance."

"It's a lot for us." McCrea blurted. "What do we do?"

"Keep everyone inside the _Axiom._ This is my fight."

"REX, you against 10,000? You won't survive."

"I'm the only we chance we have. I know the Prophet more than anyone. If we surrender, he'll have us executed."

"The EVE probes can help."

"This isn't their fight. Don't you _dare_ get them involved in this."

"REX, please."

REX ignored McCrea's plea and went to the viewport that oversaw the Lido Deck. WALL-E was being cradled and hugged by EVE and her sisters. He still had a scared expression on his face. REX wasn't afraid of dying, he was afraid of leaving behind his family. He didn't want to leave them. He loved them.

"Auto," REX said. "Come here."

Auto moved to his side, standing at attention. REX had advanced military status and Auto still followed protocol. REX could trust Auto because he followed his orders without question, although he was still getting used to being called "Captain" instead of "Lieutenant."

"What is it, sir?" Auto asked.

"I need you to keep watch over WALL-E. Keep my brother safe."

"Yes, Captain."

REX continued to watch WALL-E. His little brother was hugging EVE while his face was buried into her chest. It shattered REX. He loved his brother, he didn't want to leave him.

REX felt Talon put his hand on his shoulder. For some reason, the feeling of his hand reminded REX of Warren. Warren always gave REX reassurance before a battle. _War's hell, any wartime veteran will say that._ Warren reassured REX in wartime by saying that he knew what he was feeling. It helped that Warren felt his pain.

"REX," Talon said softly. "If you know what you're doing, then you'll come back alive. My father taught me one thing that I never forgot: _If you want a happy ending, you have to make it happen._ "

REX thought back to his past. When he first started his military career, he suffered from pain and loss. But General Warren was always there for him, to bring him back up. REX no longer fought in the Control Wars to protect mankind, he fought because Warren was fighting too. General Warren and his family in the military was the reason he kept fighting.

And now, he had a reason to keep on fighting: his _real_ family. WALL-E, his blood brother who experienced loss just like him; EVE, the girl who made WALL-E's life matter because of his love for her; and Neon, someone that REX had found love in. They would be why he would fight. He would come back alive, for their sake.

"Thanks Talon, that helps."

"Anytime."

Auto suddenly jumped in. "The Prophet has sent a message."

"Put it on display." McCrea said.

REX turned to the computer monitor along with McCrea and Talon. A message posted by the Prophet appeared on screen.

_We can negotiate your decision. Tomorrow afternoon, at this location. Fail to meet and the invasion shall begin._

A map of the city appeared on screen and a green square appeared to mark the location. It was marked at a city intersection about five miles away.

McCrea's eyes lifted in surprise. "He wants to meet us? In person?"

"Epsilon did say his mental stability was deteriorating." Talon replied. "His thinking process must've been affected."

"The Prophet isn't thinking straight." REX beamed. "This is our chance."

"What do you mean?" McCrea asked him.

"I can put an end to him."

"You mean, an assassination?"

REX nodded his head.

"I'll meet him," Talon said. "The _Atlas_ is my ship. This is my problem."

"Allright, Talon." REX shook hands with him. "I'll get ready. We'll discuss how to deal with him in the morning."

"Stay safe, soldier."

"You too."

REX went to the elevator and prepared to take it down. He felt much calmer now because of Talon's advice. He _would_ come out of this alive, because he believed he could. He would come back, for his family.

"Another mutiny," McCrea murmured. "Why did there have to be another mutiny?"

"Not a mutiny," REX said. "It's war."

* * *

EVE was scared, much more afraid than she ever had been. WALL-E was nearly killed again, this time by robotic monsters.

WALL-E shook violently in her grip. She was hugging him, nuzzling him, and spark-kissing him in desperate attempts to calm him down. They didn't seem to work, WALL-E was still shaking.

The sisters contributed to comforting WALL-E by giving him a group hug. EVE was grateful that her sisters were kind to WALL-E. She didn't care that they expressed their friendliness to him in affectionate ways. She was just happy that they looked out for him too.

A few moments later, the main elevator opened up and REX stepped out of it. WALL-E broke out of the probes' hug and went to hug REX. Now EVE understood why her affection wasn't working: WALL-E needed his brother right now.

"It's okay," REX said softly to him. "I'm here for you."

WALL-E whimpered slightly as he hugged REX. It shattered EVE's heart to hear WALL-E cry. When he first started crying back when the _Atlas_ first arrived, it only made EVE cry harder because it was so unbearable to hear.

REX motioned for the probes to help him with the hug. EVE wasted no time, she went forward a split-second before her sisters did to hug the brothers.

"Why do we fight?" REX asked.

"Family." EVE said.

"I can't hear you."

"Family." EVE said again, this time with the help of her sisters.

"I said I can't hear you."

"Family!" They shouted.

"We fight for family. Because that is the only thing that matters, the only thing we're fighting for."

That was a code REX made for them. He created that to address the bonds they had. Their family bonds. Brothers, sisters, and lovers. _Family._

WALL-E's shaking stopped after a few seconds. He looked up and made a weak smile, which relaxed EVE slightly. She was glad that he was better now.

They broke the group hug, all except EVE. She didn't want to release WALL-E from her hold. Her protective instincts burned into her mind, processing only one thought: _Love WALL-E._

"REX?" Neon then asked.

REX didn't respond. His head was down and he was frowning. EVE knew that was enough to know that something bad had happened.

"REX?" Neon repeated.

"We have a problem." REX said before covering his face with his bonnie hat and crying slightly. "It's bad, really bad."

Neon immediately went to hug REX. EVE respected Neon for how caring she was about REX. She was just like EVE when she thought about WALL-E.

REX hugged her back, crying still. EVE was distressed. What could possibly have gotten REX so worked up? With those creatures out there, it had to be serious.

The main elevator suddenly opened again and McCrea and Talon stepped out. McCrea put something to his mouth, then his voice boomed through the _Axiom_ loudspeakers.

"All _Axiom_ and _Atlas_ colonists, report to the _Axiom_ for an important message as soon as possible."

REX stood up and looked at McCrea. It seemed that he was needing love too, because he was still hugging Neon.

"You're going to tell them?" He asked McCrea.

"Gonna have to. Everyone is at risk."

"What?" EVE asked.

"I'll tell them separately," REX said. "They're my responsibility."

"Do what you need to," said Talon.

REX released Neon and started walking off. He beckoned to WALL-E, EVE, and the sisters to follow him. They did so, diligently and without hesitation. They obeyed REX because he protected them. He was their leader.

REX lead them out of the _Axiom_ and outside in the direction of WALL-E's truck. The saddened expression on his face really upset EVE. Whatever he was going to tell them, it most certainly wasn't good.

It was dark outside. The night sky cast a gloomy shadow over the ground they traveled across. It was only adding to the bad feeling everyone was getting.

A few minutes of walking, and they arrived at the truck. WALL-E opened the ramp and waited for everyone else to go in, then he followed in, turned on the indoor lights, and closed the ramp.

REX stood in front of the VCR while EVE, WALL-E, and the sisters stood in front of him, waiting for the news.

"A dangerous man from my past has come back," REX explained. "He has an army and he plans on killing us all."

Everyone gasped. WALL-E's eyes widened in surprise while EVE and her sisters put their hands to their faces in shock. This wasn't good at all. _Everyone_ was in danger, not just WALL-E this time.

"Tomorrow," REX continued. "I'm going to kill him. I don't want any of you to get hurt. Stay in the _Axiom_ tomorrow."

Neon moved forward to REX. Her eyes lowered to show sadness. "REX . . . dangerous."

REX hugged Neon tight. She sighed lightly and tucked her head underneath his and closed her eyes.

"I can end this," REX said softly. "But I need all of you to follow my orders. Please."

There was brief pause. The eerie silence slightly stressed EVE. The idea of a killer on the loose scared her, not just because of WALL-E's safety, but because of everyone.

"Yes." Angel said.

"Yes." Izzy repeated.

"Yes." Vi continued.

EVE paused for a moment. She didn't want to lose her best friend. She trusted REX because of his promise to protect WALL-E. He deserved all the respect she had.

But REX was smart, he knew was he was doing. "Yes."

WALL-E and Neon said nothing. EVE knew they were contradicting REX's decision to go alone. Being his brother and beloved, they were closer with REX than she was.

"Yes." They said later in a synchronous voice.

"Thank you," REX said through shaking words. "All of you. This _will_ be over, and when it is, we can get back to what's important: having each other."

The sisters smiled for good measure, which made WALL-E, Neon, and EVE smile to help bring the mood up. It made REX smile last, and a tear ran down his face.

WALL-E then went to the VHS and put in _Hello Dolly._ He started clearing out some of his treasure to make room for the sisters to sleep. They each thanked him with a spark-kiss, then got into their places and watched the movie.

While REX settled with Neon, WALL-E came up to EVE and stared at her, not that loving stare he usually did, but one of concern. EVE knew what was on his mind. Tomorrow, things weren't going to be the same.

She went up to WALL-E and hugged him. EVE wanted to have WALL-E forever. There was going to be trouble tomorrow, so she had to keep WALL-E safe.

"REX," WALL-E whispered to her. "Protect."

"Promise." EVE whispered back. She had once feared REX because of his violent side, but she now depended on that dark side of him because it was what enforced the promise he made to her. REX's military background and his character made EVE depict him not as a hero, but a man who had his own motives for fighting. He fought by different rules, _his_ rules.

If REX said they would come out of this alive, then they would.


	12. The Plot

"You sure this is going to work?"

REX peered out the seven-story window of an abandoned building that overlooked the meeting point. The afternoon sun shone brightly in the sky. It looked so pleasant. It could've been a perfect day to be with his family.

But because of the circumstances, he couldn't. He was setting up a sniper position to take out the Prophet.

Talon's voice sounded off from his communicator. "REX, you there?"

"Yeah."

"You sure this'll work?"

"It will. Lure the Prophet into the open, then I'll take him out."

"What if he has backup?"

"That's why I set up explosives earlier. Insurance."

REX wasn't holding back. He came to the meeting point early in the morning to prepare a Plan B in case things went south. He went to the Blackwing Armory and grabbed piles of explosives and set them up at the meeting point. Ion mines were littered about the ground, covered by the dust that had settled in the following hours, and the old buildings surrounding the meeting point had fracture charges on their support structures. They were all wired to REX's wireless hacking interface; in case the Prophet did bring backup, REX could blow them all to pieces with a simple thought.

REX started getting his sniper rifle ready. Unlike his other weaponry, the sniper rifle wasn't an attachment to his arm. Instead, several parts that made up the rifle ejected from a slot in his mechanical arm, which he put together into the weapon.

The sniper rifle was something to be feared. Thanks to advanced technology, REX's sniper came with several different vision filters, had full on suppression, and no recoil. The rifle also had a small tube on the back end which connected to REX's mechanical arm to feed it R-15 for ammo.

McCrea's voice cut in the communicator REX wired into his head. "REX, everyone here at the _Axiom_ is getting edgy. Your family especially."

"It'll be over soon." REX responded. "Talon, you in position."

"Just about there."

REX rested his rifle on the window and peered out through the scope. He saw Talon moving through the streets towards the meeting point. The man looked strangely calm for someone who was putting his life at risk. REX had to give him credit.

"Got you in my scope, Captain." REX said.

"We got five minutes," Talon replied. "Better hope this works."

"It will."

REX was absolutely sure that he could pull it off. He had done this kind of thing several times back during the Control Wars. Assassinations was one thing that General Warren had drilled hard into REX, and because of that, REX had the skills of a highly trained assassin. So long as he didn't think too much about finally ending the Prophet, the plan would go by smoothly.

REX often wondered what would've happened to him if he ended the war in his past life. He wasn't technically a living being, he was a Buy n' Large product. Like any other robot, he was expendable.

He had once asked General Warren that question. Warren's response was a sigh and some kind words:

_They made you my responsibility, so technically, I decide what happens to you. I'll find you a life, son._

REX owed all the respect he had to General Warren. REX had no one when he was first created, no one cared for him. But General Warren developed an attachment to him. REX trusted that man with his life, because Warren made a survivor out of him.

"Hey REX," McCrea cut in. "WALL-E wants to say something."

"Put him on."

REX heard a scuffling sound on his communicator, then his little brother's electronic voice sounded off.

"REX?"

"Hey WALL-E. You doing okay?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, that's good."

"REX . . . danger."

"I've been in worse situations before. I'll come back, bro. I'm not leaving you."

"Protect?"

"I promised EVE that I would keep you alive. I'm not doing this just because I promised her, but also because you're my brother."

"Family."

REX paused for a moment, then pulled a holographic photo image out his pocket. On it was a picture of him, WALL-E, EVE, and Neon; the first family picture that they had together. Everyone was smiling, having a good time.

"A family sticks together," REX then said. "That's my directive: you, EVE, and Neon. You're my family."

"Okay." WALL-E said. Another scuffling sound was heard, which must've meant WALL-E was handing McCrea back the communicator.

Talon suddenly broke in. "They're here."

REX went back to his sniper rifle and peered through the scope. He saw a large mass of silver converging on Talon. Several slashers were making their way to the meeting point. Guess the Prophet really was smart enough to bring backup after all.

REX adjusted the zoom and scanned the group, looking for any gold coloration that would indicate the Prophet. REX was getting a ping of fear because he wasn't finding any. If this assassination was botched, the only next move would be an all out battle for survival.

He then stumbled upon something. A figure in red armor with a helmet that had an X-shaped visor moving in the middle of the slasher horde. REX analyzed the figure using his built-in scanner to find the figure a human male with a leg injury, then his nerves spiked.

"Abort, abort." REX said into his comlink, trying to stay calm. "Prophet is a no-show. Keller's going in his place."

McCrea responded to the call. "Got it. Jasper, get out of there. REX can handle this."

REX cursed under his breath. He was depending heavily on this to work. Now that it was known that the Prophet wouldn't appear, all hell would break loose.

 _Well, that's war._ REX thought to himself. _Sometimes things go unplanned, that's the reason for a Plan B._

REX then primed his sniper rifle and readied the explosives that littered the meeting point. He needed Talon to get out of the killzone so he could decimate Keller and the slasher horde. If they were taken out, that would be one less problem to deal with when war broke out.

But he noticed that Talon wasn't moving from his spot, still facing the approaching group. _What is he doing? He's gonna get killed if he stays._

"Talon," REX said into his communicator. "Get out now. Abort."

"No," Talon replied. "This can still work."

"Don't be a hero, Talon. Heroics get you killed."

"I got a plan. Maybe I can bring the Prophet out."

". . . what do you mean?"

"Negotiate."

REX paused for a moment. He didn't want to risk lives, but Talon sounded legit. If he could get the Prophet out, then this would be over soon enough.

"Allright," REX then said. "But if it doesn't go well, get out. I'll cover you."

"Got it."

The mass of slashers then came about fifty feet away from Talon and stood there. REX knew where every booby-trap was placed. From their position, he could take down two of the buildings and take them all out. _Poorly positioned, exposed to sniper fire, primed for ambush._ The Prophet had lost all of his strategic planning with his mind if he was this clumsy with readying his army. This might be a cakewalk if REX took things carefully.

Keller then moved to the front towards Talon. REX kept his sniper rifle trained on Keller's head and changed his camouflage pattern to a light brown to match the building's exterior. He was about five miles away in a ten-story building and would be nearly impossible to see, but he wasn't taking any chances right now.

As Keller approached Talon, REX did an analysis of Keller's armor. He was wearing elite combat gear, armor that highly-trained human soldiers of the Syndicate wore. Reinforced steel, arm-mounted laser cannons, movement enhancers, and several other combat applications. The enhancers were supporting his frame, which explained why Keller was walking perfectly despite his broken leg.

Keller came up to Talon. The two men exchanged glances (or at least Talon was) and kept the stare going for a while. REX amplified the volume on his communicator so he could overhear the conversation.

"Hello, Captain." Keller said with a mocking tone.

"Keller," Talon grumbled. "Where is the Prophet?"

"He sent me to discuss your allegiance. I'm waiting."

"I will only discuss terms with the Prophet."

Keller then aimed his wrist-mounted lasers at Talon. REX had the trigger halfway squeezed almost immediately after. He was fighting his instincts not to pull the trigger right now because of the chance that the Prophet could be drawn out. The chance was slim, but it was there.

"You are not in a position for demands." Keller growled. His wrist-mounted lasers made a bright red glow, indicating they were charging.

"Its standard diplomacy," Talon replied, apparently not at all affected by the weapons pointed at him. "Discuss terms with the leaders. You're not the leader."

"You better watch your mouth."

Keller then went up to Talon and smacked him. REX immediately held back an urge to fire a shot right into Keller's skull. His adrenaline was pumping hard now and it was getting increasingly harder to hold his combat instincts back.

Talon fell to the ground with one hand on his face, clutching it in pain. Despite being struck, he was still calm. REX was impressed.

"Keller, you're better than this. The Prophet's been lying to you. He's been lying to all of us. If you do his bidding, you only reward will be your own demise."

"No! I owe the Prophet everything. My ancestors suffered at the hands of a ruthless third-world dictator who punished them unfairly despite the suffering they already received. Then the Prophet came, killed the dictator, and liberated the people; all he wanted in return was our allegiance."

"That's exactly the reason. He's using you for cannon fodder to achieve his own goals. He doesn't care one bit about you or anyone else, only himself."

"Lies! All of them lies!"

Keller's lasers glowed brighter. Now REX was at the breaking point. He steadied his aim on Keller's head, took a deep simulated breath, and slowly squeezed the trigger to fire the bullet that would start a war for survival.

But then Keller's lasers turned off, making REX quickly release his finger on the sniper's trigger. He detected a faint electromagnetic signature emanating from Keller. The Prophet must be contacting him.

"Sorry," Keller then said. "But the Prophet has taken your defiance as a _no._ Now, you must die."

Keller then ordered the slashers to attack. Two of them shrieked and made a run for Talon.

REX's combat instincts kicked in almost immediately. He immediately refocused his aim on the running slashers and fired his sniper rifle at them. The high-penetration rounds went straight through their heads, striking their core processing units and taking them down for the count.

"Talon!" REX yelled. "Get out, now!"

Talon wasted no time. He got up and started running. Several slashers gave chase, snarling and swinging their claws wildly through the air. REX opened fire on them, but it only took him a few seconds before he realized there was too many for the sniper rifle.

REX then used his hacking interface to detonate the ion mines. Bright blue fireballs erupted from the ground as the mines exploded, tearing any slashers to pieces. Using a special remote detonation system in his hacking interface, REX could choose which mines to detonate, thereby avoiding the ones Talon was running over.

But as Talon cleared the minefield, Keller and several more slashers were still giving chase. REX couldn't risk destroying the buildings and taking out Talon. He only had one other option:

REX quickly disassembled his sniper rifle and put away the parts. He stood up and, with a running start and a jump boost from the repulsors in his legs, leapt out of the building at an amazing height and speed.

As he was airborne, REX activated his wingsuit. Black-colored membranes came out of his arms and legs to catch the rising air, allowing REX not the ability to fly like EVE, but to glide slowly towards the ground while traveling at a fast horizontal speed. The speed and altitude drop depended highly on whether REX had the wingsuit open to travel long distances, or closed if he wanted to freefall so he could reach the ground quicker. Back in his military career, REX had used the wingsuit for high-altitude insertions into enemy territory.

REX glided through the air towards Talon. As he came close, he closed his wingsuit and freefell to the ground. REX supercharged his mechanical arm as he fell, and dropped into a group of slashers to unleash a shockwave as he slammed into the ground, taking out several of them.

Keller and the slashers behind him stopped at REX's unexpected arrival. REX saw in his rear perimeter camera Talon still going. He just needed to hold them off until Talon was clear.

"You again?" Keller growled at him. "Good, now I can break your leg!"

"When I broke your leg, I should've gone for your spine." REX altered his camouflage to his standard woodland pattern and altered his mechanical arm. It transformed into a cylinder shape with several muzzles lining the edges. His gatling gun.

The gatling gun was REX's most powerful asset. It could fire energy bullets at a devastating rate of one thousand bullets per second, decimating any on the receiving end. Although REX couldn't use it for long, as the ridiculous fire rate drained his power, despite R-15 being able to replenish itself quickly.

The gun made a deafening roar as REX opened up with it. Slashers were torn to pieces as the bullets ripped through them like a nasty hailstorm, not even small pieces of metallic components were left behind from destroyed drones. They didn't stand a chance as they made the mistake of trying to close the distance, making it easier for REX to hit them.

But after a few seconds, REX's power alert indicator sounded off in his HUD, indicating he was getting low on power. He stopped the barrage but immediately pulled out his pistol to continue the assault. REX wasn't willing to hold back. These monsters threatened his family, and his family's safety was where the lines crossed.

Then, the slashers backed off. It confused REX. Slashers were never programmed to retreat; they kept fighting until they were destroyed. That's why they were feared: they were relentless.

Keller came out of the small remnants of drones. Like the Prophet, Keller's emotions were hidden behind that helmet. REX didn't care about what Keller was feeling though, he had to end this.

"You and me, machine." Keller hissed.

"I'll take you down, then the Prophet's next."

Keller dashed at REX and attempted to strike with a hidden blade in his wrist. REX deflected the blade with a quick draw of his combat knife and used his enhanced strength to tear out the blade with an open-palmed strike toward Keller's hand. He then delivered a series of punches in Keller's chest, followed by a powerful kick to his face, knocking him back.

Keller recovered and then what looked like a holographic version of a sledgehammer appeared in his hands. He ran towards REX and swung it hard. REX ducked underneath the swing with ease and quickly stepped back for some breathing room. Keller's fighting technique was sloppy, but that armor allowed him to take a beating.

REX then caught a slasher attempting to dash at him from behind in his perimeter camera. He turned at the last second and grabbed the drone's arms, then turned its own claws against it by impaling them in its chest. The drone fell to the ground with its claws jammed into its chest, clearly down for the count.

REX knew this was only the start. Once Keller was out, REX still had to take out the Prophet and the rest of the slasher army, without help this time.

But he _will_ pull through. Because REX had a family. His directive was to protect them, and that's exactly what he would do.

They were the only reason he was still alive.

* * *

EVE was nervous. The mission failed. REX didn't have a chance to take out the Prophet, which meant things would escalate.

She, Neon, WALL-E, and the remaining sisters were with McCrea in the captain's room of the _Axiom,_ listening to the events that were occurring on a communicator that McCrea was holding. McCrea had the communicator set to speaker so they could all hear, mainly due to the pleas of WALL-E and Neon because they wanted to hear everything REX was going through.

"REX," McCrea said. "What's going on?"

REX's voice came through on the communicator. "Holding off Keller so Talon can escape. Having a tough time here."

"No!" Neon cried. "REX!"

"REX," McCrea yelled. "The EVE probes want to help. Let them help you."

"No, I can't risk anymore liv-"

There was a sudden break in REX's speech. It was suddenly quiet, and it scared EVE.

"REX? REX, are you there?"

There was only static on the other end. Neon shrieked, then started crying. EVE immediately went to comfort her sister. WALL-E did the same.

This couldn't be happening. REX was their only hope, the only one who could stop the Syndicate. Without him, they were done for. Everyone would be slaughtered.

Another voice came in on the communicator. "Ben, this is Jasper. I can still hear fighting in the distance, but I can't reach REX. Something must've happened to his communicator. I think he's still alive."

"REX has to be alive!" McCrea yelled. "No way is he going to let the Prophet win!"

EVE gave Neon a tight hug. Her sister had come close to losing her love. Now she had felt what EVE once felt long ago. It wasn't right at all. EVE didn't want Neon to suffer like she had, she didn't want her sister to go through that pain.

"Neon," EVE said softly. "REX . . . strong."

Neon's crying lightened after a few seconds, then she made a weak smile, signifying that she believed EVE.

"REX," Neon said. "Strong."

EVE then released Neon and turned to WALL-E. Her nerves spiked because he was heading to the elevator.

She quickly dashed in his way. What was WALL-E thinking? He couldn't go out there. It was too dangerous.

"WALL-E?" She asked.

"Help . . . REX."

Her nerves spiked even harder. "No."

"REX . . . brother."

"WALL-E . . . please . . . no."

WALL-E then opened his compartment and pulled out the telepathic communicators that they used to talk perfectly. He handed EVE one communicator and held the other one in his hand. They activated their communicators and EVE spoke first.

"WALL-E," she begged. "Please don't go. I don't want to lose you."

"Eva, REX is in trouble out there. My brother is running the risk of getting killed. I can't lose the only blood family I have. I've already lost too many."

"But WALL-E, if you go out there, you'll be in danger. I can't lose you—not again."

"Eva, what if it was one of your sisters out there fighting? What if your family was out there risking their lives for your safety?"

EVE was stuck, WALL-E had her there. "I . . ."

"Eva, REX fought for family his entire life, and I'm sick of him risking his neck out there for me. Learning about that war he fought gave me the thought of him being a casualty of war. What would happen if he was dead before then? He wouldn't have become my brother, he wouldn't have a real family, and most importantly, he wouldn't have discovered what we treasure most because he met Neon."

"You don't want to lose your blood family."

"Exactly, Eva. I need to go out there and get REX to safety. I need to be out there with him because that's what brothers do. We look out for each other."

EVE couldn't respond. WALL-E had a point. It was the bonds of family that held REX and WALL-E together. They both enjoyed the feelings of love with EVE and Neon, but it was really brotherhood that they lived by. EVE had the same kind of happiness with her sisters, and because of that, she would be fighting alongside them if it came to it, much like WALL-E wanted to fight with REX.

"You're right." EVE then said. "REX is _your_ family. You're brothers and you always stick together."

"Thank you for understanding, Eva."

"But if you're going, then I'm coming too. We're all family."

"I won't argue with you there."

They turned off their communicators and went for the elevator, now ready for what they had to do. They had to help REX because he was family. EVE would never forgive herself if WALL-E lost his brother. It was too painful to imagine what he would go through if he lost the only blood family he had left.

But EVE suddenly felt something grab her arm. She turned around to see her sisters watching them questionably. Neon was at the front.

"EVE?" Neon asked.

"Help . . . REX." EVE replied in a now confident tone.

Neon's eyes grew in surprise, but quickly changed to show courage. EVE could already predict her next response.

"Coming." She said, pointing to herself."

Angel, Izzy, and Vi moved forward. They took Neon's flanks and brandished the same confident expression that Neon had.

"Coming." They chorused.

EVE nodded to them in gratitude. They were willing to fight with REX because they greatly honored him for his dedication to protect WALL-E. That was why they diligently obeyed him, because he protected the ones he cared about.

They went for the elevator. McCrea turned in their direction, but he didn't have time to say anything because the doors already closed. EVE only saw his eyes widen in surprise before the doors blocked her view of him.

EVE was shaking in anxiety and nervousness as the elevator went down. Doing something like this was putting them all in danger. REX gave them orders to stay in the _Axiom,_ but he needed their help right now. To them, his life mattered more than his orders.

And EVE was now the acting leader. REX had told her that when he wasn't around, she was in charge. And right now, she knew that they needed to help him.

The elevator opened at the Lido Deck. EVE picked up WALL-E and flew to the nearest exit with the sisters following behind. When they got to an exit hatch, EVE opened it and they got outside.

They could hear faint sounds of gunfire and metal clanking as they came outside. That _had_ to mean REX was still alive—and still fighting.

EVE flew high in the sky with WALL-E still in her arms. The sisters stayed close behind, Neon was actually matching EVE's pace and had a worried expression on her face. Being the acting leader, EVE had to make sure she would bring REX back alive, and that Neon wouldn't do something stupid.

They flew towards the sounds of battle while still remaining high in the sky. EVE learned from REX that their flying capabilities gave them a superior advantage in combat. An aerial bombardment from their ion cannons would best serve in their favor when they reached the combat zone.

But first, they needed to survey the area. When they arrived, EVE settled on a nearby building rooftop and used the zooming feature on her HUD to examine the area. She saw REX fighting against a red-armored figure (who must've been Keller) and several of those slasher robots at once with a combination of hand-to-hand combat and multiple weapon features. REX was doing a good job of holding his own, but it looked like he was getting tired; he couldn't go on forever.

Then, EVE's combat instincts kicked in. She ordered Angel and Izzy to take positions in the sky and rain down fire while she would go down with Neon and Vi to assist REX. WALL-E would go to REX and lead him out of the fight while they provided cover.

The sisters acknowledged her orders and took their positions. EVE flew down with her escort and set WALL-E down a good distance away from the fight. Once it was safe enough, WALL-E would get REX out.

Then it began. Angel and Izzy bombarded from the air while EVE, Neon, and Vi provided their own fire from ground level. The mixture of ion cannon fire from two different angles tore up the unsuspecting slashers since they were too preoccupied with fighting REX. Their already low numbers dwindled at an alarming rate.

"What are you doing here!" REX yelled at them. "Get out of here! Now!"

Suddenly, a large blue-colored wave pulse erupted from Keller. REX was incapacitated because of his close proximity to the eruption and EVE's ion cannon suddenly stopped working. It must've been some kind of EMP.

"Bringing your friends won't help you now." Keller said. He went to REX, who was lying on the ground, and lifted his hammer to bring it down on him.

"No!" WALL-E yelled. EVE saw WALL-E dash at Keller in an attempt to stop him, but Keller suddenly redirected his hammer at the last second into a golf-like swing at WALL-E, sending him several feet into the air and straight into a building.

"WALL-E!" EVE screamed. She flew towards where WALL-E landed and found him, severely damaged and unmoving. Fear ran through EVE's mind as she screamed for him. WALL-E couldn't be dead. He escaped it once before, he could do it again.

EVE saw a shadow come over her. She turned to see Keller standing over her, the hammer bouncing slightly in his hands.

"Now it is time to finish you off." Keller said before bursting into maniacal laughter.

Then, the sisters attacked Keller, body-slamming into him at great speeds. They took turns barraging him so he didn't have time to retaliate, quickly flying away after an impact to gain enough momentum to hit him again. Neon even used her close-combat skills and took swings at Keller for a brief period before dashing away for another body-slam.

EVE turned back to WALL-E, who was still motionless. She screamed and screamed for him in an impulsive response to the fear she was suffering. It was just like when he was crushed under the Holo-detector. The pain she felt back then was coming back.

_Ion cannon active._

The message flashed in her HUD. EVE's ion cannon was back online.

Then, EVE felt nothing but rage. Keller hurt WALL-E, he had to _die._

EVE picked up WALL-E in one arm and drew her cannon. The sisters cleared away from their assault on Keller and EVE let out a banshee-like scream of rage as she fired repeatedly at Keller. That ferocious instinct that made REX such a vicious killer—EVE now had it. She now knows how REX feels when he's angry.

The shots made direct contact with Keller's chest. He staggered back, but didn't go down. That armor of his could take a serious beating. It only made EVE more enraged as she continued her fire in an attempt to break his defenses and end him for good.

Suddenly, there were several explosions. Some of the nearby buildings' lower supports exploded and they started crumbling. As they were coming down, EVE heard REX shouting as loud as he could.

"Retreat, back to the _Axiom!"_

EVE didn't move. She was still shocked from WALL-E being lost again. She couldn't relive that pain.

Then REX appeared at her side. His eyes were blood-red, signifying that he was enraged, but there was also the slight upper crease in his eyebrows that indicated fear. REX was scared about WALL-E too.

"Get WALL-E back to the ship!" He yelled. It was the first time REX had ever yelled at her. He was taking this matter personally, very personally. "I'll get the parts! GO!"

EVE acknowledged his orders, then took off for the _Axiom_ with her sisters regrouping and following behind. The buildings began crashing down to the ground; EVE had to hit supersonic speed to escape the gauntlet of falling rubble.

She was burning with fear the whole way back. _This can't happen again!_ EVE needed WALL-E. She couldn't live without him.

They flew back inside the _Axiom_ to a large horde of humans and robots gathered together. All of them chorused a gasp of shock as they saw WALL-E hanging lifeless in EVE's arms.

"Get a gurney NOW!" Someone shouted. "WALL-E's hurt!"

A hovering gurney then appeared flanked by two Stewards. EVE set WALL-E down on it and followed it to the Repair Ward. The sisters stayed close.

EVE started crying. She was feeling the pain again, but now, it was getting worse. WALL-E's unmoving body scared her more than ever. It wasn't just him almost killed the last time that scared EVE, but also because she had to go through WALL-E not remembering her when she fixed him. It was only a few seconds in that time that she thought she had truly lost him forever.

"EVE," Neon said softly. "WALL-E . . . will . . . survive."

EVE couldn't respond. She was still crying as loud as she could as the fear of losing WALL-E again ran through her mind. She couldn't lose WALL-E, _never._

"EVE!" Neon snapped. She grabbed EVE by the arms and forced her to look her in the eyes. "REX . . . save . . . WALL-E."

EVE slightly lessened her crying. Neon was right: REX _will_ save WALL-E because he was dedicated to protecting his brother. He may not have said it, but EVE always thought it: _REX could do anything._

But still, the pain wouldn't go away until WALL-E was back. EVE still cried and screamed for WALL-E the entire way to the Repair Ward.

Talon and McCrea were waiting there with a handful of _Atlas_ humans in white labcoats. They moved WALL-E from the gurney to a metal table in a hurry and began running over his body with sensors. All of them began barking stats and orders to each other, they were trying their best to do what they could for WALL-E.

"CPU chip is intact, but his power level is sapped and he needs several replacement parts."

"I don't care how you do it, just bring him back."

"You think I'm not trying? I want him back just as much as the next person."

"Just as much isn't good enough. We need him back _now._ "

The humans began arguing with each other as they tried to discuss how to save WALL-E, the tension was clearly mounting because of how fast everything was happening. EVE wasn't paying much attention to the heated verbal battle because she was still screaming for WALL-E to come back.

"OUT OF MY WAY!"

EVE turned her head in response to the loud shout to see REX charging towards them, knocking anyone who was in his way to the side. He had a large amount of WALL-E's spare parts in his arms and his eyes were still blood-red. He was really mad if his eyes were still that color.

REX came up to the table and immediately set the parts down and shoved the humans away, barking that no one but him was going to repair his brother. He immediately went to replacing any damaged parts on WALL-E with EVE joining in. She saved WALL-E once before; with REX's help, she could do it again.

They fully repaired WALL-E in ten fast seconds. Teamwork was something to be proud of, but EVE didn't bother to think about it because WALL-E still needed power. They hadn't succeeded yet.

REX flexed his mechanical arm, then sparks started coming out of it. "No time for a solar recharge. I'm gonna jumpstart him."

He placed his hand on WALL-E's chest. A large surge of electricity flowed from his hand into WALL-E's chest. WALL-E bounced slightly from the shock, but didn't move. It didn't work.

But REX clearly wasn't giving up. He kept trying, sending more and more electricity into WALL-E. EVE could understand REX's determination; he had to save his brother.

Several more tries, and still none of them worked. WALL-E only bounced from the shocks, but he wasn't coming back to life.

"REX," Talon said. "It's not working."

"I can't—I can't lose him."

"REX, stop."

"NO!" REX punched the table with his human hand in uncontrolled anger. "I've lost too many brothers! I am _not_ losing another!"

EVE only felt nothing but trust in REX. He was the devoted brother of WALL-E, and that anger he had was what protected him. EVE no longer feared REX's anger, she respected it. His anger was the motivation that would bring WALL-E back.

And once WALL-E was back, she knew that REX would hunt down those responsible for nearly killing his brother.

* * *

"C'mon, c'mon."

REX continued to shock WALL-E using a direct energy transfer in an attempt to revive him. WALL-E had R-15 coursing through him because of that power boost REX gave him the day after they first met. All that REX needed to do was transfer his own R-15—his _blood_ —into his brother so he could bring him back.

He checked WALL-E's energy pulse with each shock. He just needed to hit the proper energy level in order to bring WALL-E back. It was just monitoring the level that reassured REX, because it said that it was confirmed he could save his brother.

REX burned with rage and fear. Keller was going to pay for this, the Prophet too. They had officially crossed the line by nearly taking away his brother. Now there was no holding back, no break in hunting them down, and especially no mercy.

_How is he doing?_

REX heard General Warren's voice, compassionate and reassuring. Warren was talking in his mind, trying to help him.

"He will survive." REX didn't care who heard him. He needed Warren to help him. He needed motivation, and Warren could give it to him.

 _Do what I taught you._ Warren said. _Save him, you can do it._

"I will, sir."

_How much do you love him?_

"More than anything. He's my brother."

_Good._

Then, Warren started yelling at him. It was how REX was motivated to go on, by making him angry. Warren always shouted at him during the training to make him angry so he could go beyond his normal limits. It wasn't personal, it never was.

_Then what are you slacking for? Save your brother! Save him now!_

REX continued to give WALL-E jumpstart shocks. He was narrowing down on the proper energy level. Soon, WALL-E would be back.

_Did my training go to waste? Are you a worthless product like Jastle said?_

"No sir."

_Are you going to let your brother die? Are you going to do nothing and let him die?_

REX's anger was flaring up, more than it usually did. "No sir!"

_Has the Syndicate won already? Won because they killed your brother already? Have they?_

"SIR NO SIR!"

_Then save him, dammit!_

REX was at his breaking point— _was._ He let out a roar of anger as he continued to revive WALL-E. Anger gave him more determination, and it made him the killing machine that fought for completely different reasons than what his creators wanted.

Then, he hit the right level. WALL-E's power charge shot up to full power like a rocket and he got back up almost immediately. WALL-E's CPU chip was fully intact so his memory wasn't lost again, he immediately woke up and started shaking in fear, showing that he was still his original self.

"WALL-E!" EVE cried joyfully. She immediately hugged WALL-E tight and pressed her head into his. This was her time now, she needed to be with her partner so they could both calm down.

REX stared at the table, taking simulated breaths to calm himself down. He had succeeded; he never doubted his abilities and what he could do. WALL-E was back again.

Neon came up to REX and hugged him tight. The feel of her was helping him relax even more. The rage and stress that had built up was slowly withering away.

_You did good, son. I'm proud of you._

It was always hearing Warren praise him that REX enjoyed the most. All that he ever wanted in his past life was Warren's approval. Whenever his mentor showed how proud he was of REX, it always made him happy.

REX hugged Neon back and relaxed completely. He felt happy again. His family was safe now, and his brother was alive.

He turned to WALL-E, who was practically being crushed in EVE's hold as she had him in a tight hug. REX smiled and patted WALL-E on the back.

"Good to have you back, bro."

WALL-E smiled in response and made a cheerful chittering sound. EVE giggled from his vocal noises, then gave him a long-lasting spark kiss and nuzzled him.

REX laughed to himself. For this brief time, they didn't have a war to fight. They were a family, they enjoyed being with each other. They enjoyed their family love.

"REX," Neon whispered to him. "Hero."

EVE then glided up to REX with WALL-E still in her arms. She gave REX a grateful spark-kiss on the side of his face and hugged him with WALL-E doing the same.

"Thank you." EVE said.

"We're a family, we stick together." REX returned the hug. "I love you all."

Everything else was blocked out from REX's mind as he enjoyed being with his family. REX had been misinterpreted as a soulless killing machine in his past life because he was made to fight a war. But REX didn't believe in that purpose anymore, because he was protecting, not murdering. REX protected his family with his life; anyone who threatened his family's existence would be the sole target of his true side, the side of him that was made for the war.

After a long period, they parted the group hug. EVE and Neon, however, still clung onto their respective boyfriends in tight hugs. It made sense since REX and WALL-E had both come close to certain death. But now it made REX feel ashamed that they had scared their girlfriends like that.

McCrea then came up to the group with two hoverchairs. Everyone started clearing a path to the Lido Deck.

"Take a seat, REX." McCrea said. "Please. This is all happening too fast. You all need to relax."

REX didn't bother to say anything. He sat down in one hoverchair with Neon still in his arms while WALL-E and EVE took the other one, still holding each other tight. The chairs then began to head for the Lido Deck with everyone following them.

"You're a hero, REX." McCrea said along the way. "You saved WALL-E."

"Don't call me a hero, because I'm a soldier, not a hero."

It was something General Warren told him once. Something that REX never forgot. _You can save lives, you can stop bombs from going off. But once you take a life, you will never be a hero. Soldiers aren't heroes; they get the job done._

REX was never a hero. He didn't do what he did for a global good or some noble cause like those so-called "heroes" in the movies, he had his own reasons. He fought to protect the ones he loved, and he wouldn't hesitate to do what some called "heartless" in order to protect them.

But being a hero wasn't important to him. The only thing that was important was his family. WALL-E, EVE, and Neon were his family. They mattered more than being a hero, they mattered more than his own life.

Neon pressed her head into REX's chest. He held her tight and relished in the affection she was giving him. REX loved his family, and they loved him.

But the Prophet was still out there. Until he was dead, REX's family was still in danger. This war needed to end.

The hoverchairs carried them to the Lido Deck. WALL-E and EVE didn't break away from each other, and neither did REX and Neon. None of them were willing to break away from each other. Emotions were running high right now.

The large group of humans and robots surrounded the family, but REX paid no attention to them. He just wanted his family right now.

Eventually, McCrea broke the silence. "REX, what do we do now? The Prophet surely has declared war on us."

REX tried to ease Neon off of him, but she groaned and gripped tighter on him. He understood her feelings. EVE and Neon were on the brink of losing it because he and WALL-E were nearly killed. This war had officially gone too far.

He submitted to Neon's affection and stayed in the chair, instead turning to McCrea and speaking from there.

"There's only one option," REX said. "I have to fight them."

"No," Neon cried. "REX . . . stay."

"I have to, Neon. I have to protect you."

A high-pitched beeping sound suddenly erupted from the ground. REX turned to where the sound came from and saw M-O giving him a glare that hinted confidence.

"Help," the tiny cleaner bot chirped.

Just hearing that one word stunned REX. M-O wanted to fight too.

"You can't be serious."

"No," said another voice. "We're not."

Soon enough, the rogues appeared, followed by several Stewards, then several other robots. They all stared at REX with a certain kind of look that he had seen in soldiers during his past life: the sign that they were willing to fight.

Auto appeared on one of the screens of a Steward. Since Auto couldn't leave the captain's room, he had to use Stewards to communicate outside of it.

"You won't survive fighting them alone." Auto said. "Let us help you. Every single robot here wants to fight as well. This is our home too."

Neon got off of REX and joined WALL-E, EVE, and the sisters in a small group. They all gave him that same look that the other robots were brandishing. They wanted to fight as well.

"Family." WALL-E said. EVE and her sisters nodded in response to him, stating that they wanted to fight, because they were fighting for family.

Then, the _Atlas_ construction crew came up. James was at the lead.

"We're not loyal to the Prophet's schemes." James said. "This is our home too, and I don't want it to be ruled by some ruthless tyrant. We're fighting too. The Rounders were built for construction, but we know how to use them for other means."

REX didn't know how to respond. Everyone wanted to fight. Everyone wanted to help him fight against the Syndicate.

But then he remembered one lesson from General Warren. One he had learned about something called _resistance fighting._

_Some people run scared when the fight comes to them. But one thing about resistance fighters is this: when everything they have is being threatened to get taken away from them, they'll fight to the death to keep that from happening._

REX realized what that meant. He couldn't do this alone because this wasn't his fight anymore, it was _everyone's_ fight. They were threatened to have their new home taken from them, and they didn't want that. If the Prophet wanted the planet so badly, he would have to take it over everyone's dead body.

So REX got out of the hoverchair and took off for the raised Holo-detector platform. Everyone gathered around the platform and REX looked among them with the best motivational face he could muster. He knew what to do.

"The Prophet threatens to exterminate us like we're some kind of insects," He shouted to everyone. "But what he doesn't know is that we bite back. This is our home, our planet. He thinks that he can just take over and put us down without a care."

There were some slight nods and murmurs of approval. REX was already getting them enthralled in his speech.

"And what he doesn't have is loyalty. He treats his inferiors like scum and disregards them without a second thought. Because of that, he has few followers to do his bidding. But us, we are a unified force. Humans and robots working together. We don't serve one another, we _help_ each other. That in turn, makes us loyal to one another."

WALL-E, EVE, and Neon came up to the platform and stood by REX's side. Just having his family with him motivated REX to keep going.

"We will fight the Prophet, and we will win. Because we fight for a common goal, we fight together. Am I right?"

There was a loud cheer. It was so loud that REX's hearing vibrated slightly because his hearing processors couldn't take in the sudden outcry. Everyone was getting pumped.

Auto's voice suddenly jumped in. "A message from the Prophet."

Everyone started booing and spitting when Auto said the Prophet's name. It seemed courage was already molding into them. REX was amazed that they became so fearless so quickly.

"Hold up, hold up." McCrea shouted over the noise. "Let's hear what it says."

Auto read out the message. "Your defiance is intolerable. We will attack you from the north in great numbers. You have one day to prepare for our invasion."

REX was actually laughing. The Prophet had just revealed his attack strategy. He wasn't just deranged, he was an idiot.

"The Prophet has underestimated us." REX called out to the audience. "He expects this to be an easy victory."

Talon and McCrea came up to the Holo-detector. They took REX's flanks and looked over the ground.

"The Prophet killed many innocent people way back in time." Talon shouted. "He is a cold, emotionless monster. He needs to be stopped."

McCrea kept the speech going. "He had his lackeys nearly kill WALL-E. He plans on killing us all. I say that if we are to go down, we go down fighting."

REX then prepared the conclusion. "So what does this mean? Are we going to surrender and let him wipe us out, or are we going to fight back and show the Prophet that he can't just take something without consequences?"

A deafening cheer erupted. "WE'RE GONNA FIGHT!"

Everyone started cheering and pumping fists into the air. REX was actually feeling excited now. They had an army, and he was leading it.

WALL-E came up to REX and chittered excitedly. REX smiled and put his little brother in a playful armlock. If they were to die tomorrow, then they would die together. Another lesson taught by General Warren. _Soldiers fight together, and soldiers die together. Because they're not just soldiers, they're brothers._

"REX," McCrea said. "Now what?"

"What do you think?" REX gave him a friendly slap on the back. "We take the fight to them."


	13. War

It was time.

WALL-E stood on the roof of a seven-story building overlooking a large clearing where the Syndicate army was supposed to come. EVE, REX, and Neon stood at his sides.

WALL-E was nervous. Everyone was fighting. Everyone he knew was fighting against a threat to their way of life. He thought it was tough work bringing back the humans to their original home, now he was helping them protect it against a power-hungry terrorist.

EVE must've sensed his agitation, because she glided over to his side and held his hand while stroking his head lightly with her other one. The feeling of her hand rubbing his head instantly relaxed him, and gave him motivation to fight. REX once told him during the training that if he was fighting, he needed to have something to fight for in order to win. So WALL-E knew what he was fighting for in this war: he would fight for EVE; she would be his motivation to fight.

"Angel says they're coming," said REX. "Right on schedule."

WALL-E turned to REX while EVE continued stroking his head. REX must've been feeling uneasy too, as he had one hand in Neon's while the other was clenched in a fist. REX had said once that he had been in a position like this many times before (waiting for the enemy) and it always made him nervous because there was always the thought that he was waiting for his final battle. But he would live through the fight, sadly only to see close friends suffer a different fate. War was hell.

REX looked over the clearing with a serious manner, eyebrows creased low and a continued frown. It made WALL-E uneasy whenever REX wasn't in a good mood, because there was always a reason for it.

"It's gonna be tough. Everyone ready?"

WALL-E and EVE nodded their heads. Neon suddenly hugged REX tight and buried her head into his chest.

"Scared." She whimpered.

"It's okay to be afraid, Neon." REX wrapped his arms around Neon and held her in a returning hug. "Fear prepares you for battle. Just remember what I taught you: we fight for family."

WALL-E turned to EVE and indicated to REX with a tilt of his head. She caught the idea and they both went to REX and Neon for a group hug.

"Family." WALL-E said.

"Family." EVE repeated.

That was now a word that they all lived by: _family._ WALL-E and REX were held together by being brothers and the same with EVE and Neon as sisters. Then there was also the relationships of WALL-E and EVE and REX and Neon that further strengthened their bonds as a family. Everything they did, they did together.

They continued their group hug until McCrea's voice buzzed on the communicator in REX's pocket.

"REX, everyone's in position. Ready when you are."

REX pulled the communicator out of his pocket and turned up the volume so they could hear McCrea easier. "Wait for my signal."

REX then handed the communicator to EVE and walked to the building's edge and peered over it. He then turned back to WALL-E, EVE, and Neon and gave a slight reassuring grin.

"Remember the plan, and we'll all come out of this alive."

REX then jumped off the edge. WALL-E quickly wheeled over to it to watch his brother free-fall to the ground and land feet first. REX landed so hard that he made a small crater where he landed. WALL-E still couldn't believe that REX could do things that most considered impossible. He was sure that they could win this fight with his brother leading them.

REX started walking in the direction the Syndicate army was supposed to come from. WALL-E used the zooming feature on his optics to look closer at REX as he moved. His brother looked confident, but WALL-E knew he was nervous just like the rest of them.

He felt EVE take his hand. WALL-E turned around to see her giving him a smile for reassurance. He didn't really need it, because fighting to be with her was all the reassurance and motivation he needed.

"Ready?" EVE asked him.

WALL-E gave her a tight hug. "Ready."

EVE returned the hug with slight affectionate nuzzling. WALL-E enjoyed her affection until he heard slight sobbing. He thought it was EVE at first, but the sounds turned out to be coming from Neon.

"REX . . . scared." Neon said through heavy sobs.

WALL-E went to give Neon a gentle hug with EVE doing the same. Neon was scared of losing REX. WALL-E couldn't blame her. Her partner was a war machine who been on the brink of death many times before. It must've been hard when the person you love so much is a soldier fighting a war, because soldiers fight, and soldiers die too.

"REX," WALL-E said softly. "Tough."

WALL-E believed that Neon would have REX forever because he believed that his brother was a survivor, like him. WALL-E survived on the earth for 700 years on the parts of his non-functional brethren and through self-developed survival instincts. REX survived through an entire war on survival instincts that he learned from his commanding officer and devoted father. What made WALL-E and REX brothers was that they knew how to survive.

Neon whimpered for a few more seconds, then relaxed and made a weak smile to show she was better.

"Thank you." Neon said. She gave WALL-E a friendly spark-kiss as a way of showing her thanks.

WALL-E was often confused by the behavior of EVE's sisters. They tried to be friendly, but they expressed their friendliness very affectionately. He figured that when EVE gave him affection, they thought that was the only way to be friendly to him.

REX's voice came in on the communicator in EVE's hand. He was able to communicate with them even though he didn't have a communicator with him, because he could access the communicator's voice channels using his hacking interface. REX's technological makeup never failed to surprise WALL-E with his diversity of advanced features.

"The sisters are making their way to you. Wait for their arrival, then we'll begin."

WALL-E made a buzz to confirm REX's order. And they waited.

It was a long wait. WALL-E would've been bored out of his mind if EVE and Neon weren't there to keep him company. They played small games of tag to kill time, although the roof wasn't very big, and the girls tended to cheat by floating in the air out of WALL-E's reach when he was "it."

A few more minutes passed, then Angel, Izzy, and Vi arrived. They settled on the roof and greeted the family with friendly hugs.

REX's voice came in on the communicator. "Everyone ready?"

"Ready." EVE replied.

"Good. The Syndicate is here."

WALL-E looked out into the clearing and saw a huge sea of silver mass approaching from the distance. He zoomed in and saw slasher drones, tons of them, along with Keller leading them at the front in his red armor.

He heard EVE make an angry clicking sound. WALL-E remembered what Keller did to him, and he knew how EVE felt about that. She hated Keller for nearly killing her partner.

But her rage was nothing compared to REX's. REX actually had a personal death wish against Keller, and WALL-E knew that his brother would carry it out. When he was angry, REX was unstable; when his family was threatened, he had no limit.

The Syndicate army marched towards REX, who stood his ground with his assault rifle drawn. WALL-E gathered what courage he had, then braced for the inevitable.

"WALL-E," REX said through the comlink. "You're up. Wait for the detonations."

WALL-E buzzed for confirmation. He remembered the plan clearly. REX had mines placed thoroughly along the battle ground. The plan was to goad the Syndicate onto the minefield, then WALL-E would play _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ as the signal to attack once the mines detonated. The objective was to reduce their numbers as low as possible before commencing an all out assault.

EVE and the sisters came to WALL-E's flanks. EVE took his hand in hers and held it tight, signifying that she was nervous.

Then, Keller's voice echoed through the air. It seemed that he was using some kind of loudspeaker in his armor systems.

"You will not survive. Surrender now, and the Prophet will consider sparing your lives."

WALL-E heard REX on the communicator. "There's more to an army than numbers. You failed to notice that, and you will pay the price for it."

Several explosions erupted within the mass of slashers. Robot parts soared through the air as the drones were being shredded by the high-intensity explosives detonating underneath them. The plan was going better than expected as the slasher numbers were dropping faster than WALL-E expected.

WALL-E then remembered the signal. He turned on _Put on Your Sunday Clothes,_ then went to EVE so she could amplify the volume using the communicator's speaker system. The music blared through the open air as it played.

Then it happened. First, the Rounders appeared from behind some distant buildings, then the enormous WALL-A's came into play. They moved towards the battleground, followed by huge amounts of angry robots.

The sheer sight of it all amazed WALL-E. All of the _Axiom's_ robots, plus the _Atlas_ construction crew, were here to fight. This was never the kind of event WALL-E thought he would see in his life, but he was seeing it. The dedication of several individuals fighting to protect their home.

The robot army charged towards the remaining Syndicate forces. REX led the army, firing his assault rifle and taking down several slashers before closing the distance and engaging the drones in close-quarter combat.

EVE then picked up WALL-E and flew towards the fight with her sisters following behind. Now it was their time to join in.

She held WALL-E in one arm and brought out her cannon. She and the sisters came together in a perfect V-formation as they rained down fire with their ion cannons on the Syndicate army. An EVE ion cannon was powerful, since WALL-E had once seen EVE destroy an old ship with just three blasts before; a direct hit on one slasher seemed to leave nothing remaining. EVE and her sisters were especially dangerous against the Syndicate army with their weaponry, and they weren't exactly war machines like REX was.

It was chaos on the ground. Resistance fighters and slashers engaged in close quarters combat. Stewards used their tractor beams to trap slashers; certain bots used their unique attachments as makeshift weapons, and others used simple bull-rushes to attack. WALL-E even noticed the rogues using their diverse features to attack the slashers: VAQ-M, VN-GO, and PR-T launched paint, dust, and makeup into the faces of slashers to blind them; BRL-A spun wildly with his umbrella fully extended, taking out targets who got too close; M-O and L-T double-teamed targets with M-O charging into their legs and L-T hitting the face; D-FIB used her pads to deliver nasty shocks into drones, then there was HAN-S tearing through the Syndicate ranks with his wildly flailing arms.

But the Rounders and the WALL-As were causing serious damage. The Rounders floated above the ground and used their claws and assortments of tools to pick up slashers and rip them apart. The two enormous WALL-As alternated between crushing slashers with their large claws and scooping groups into their compartments to crush them. The two factions were taking hundreds of slashers down at a time, WALL-E thought he even saw Keller frantically evading the WALL-As like they were giant predators trying to eat him.

And yet there was still the war machine himself. REX was alternating between long-range weaponry and close-combat features to take down any enemy he had his eyes on. Changing between the assault rifle, missile launcher, double-edged sword, and what looked like hand-held grenades that he seemed to be pulling out of nowhere. Now WALL-E could see why REX survived through the war, because he was so powerful that he could practically fight entire armies by himself—and win.

EVE and the sisters then came to ground level. EVE set down WALL-E, but stayed close to him as she and the sisters opened fire on the drones. WALL-E provided assistance by stunning slashers with his cutting laser, shooting them in the eyes as REX had taught him.

There wasn't any more holding back. These monsters threatened to take away everything they had, but what WALL-E hated most about them was that they threatened his family. Like REX, he cared about his family, and he would go to great lengths to keep his family safe.

WALL-E was suddenly knocked to the ground by a slasher. The drone stood over him, snarling and ready to attack.

But he wasn't afraid this time. He used his laser on the drone's eyes, then tackled it when it was stunned. Then he clambered up to its head level and used a focused cutting laser attack to sear a hole right between the eyes. It was all complete instinct. REX's training had made WALL-E a fighter.

WALL-E regrouped with the girls as the attack continued. The Syndicate numbers were dwindling as the fight went on. Barely more than a few hundred slashers were left, but those numbers were dropping fast thanks to coordinated attacks from the resistance fighters.

Soon enough, their numbers were gone. All that was left was Keller, who stood alone among a pile of slasher pieces and surrounded by angry robots.

EVE and her sisters had their cannons trained on Keller. WALL-E could tell EVE was enraged, because without warning, she fired a shot right at Keller.

"Stand down!" REX barked. "He's mine."

* * *

REX exchanged glares with Keller as everyone stood back. He had every intention to end this wretched human's life. He threatened his family, so he deserved no less.

"If you think I'm going to surrender," Keller growled. "Then you're wrong."

"Wasn't counting on it."

They circled the arena, the tension was mounting by the second. REX kept all of his weapons on check and ready to arm. He could think of several ways to finish Keller, it was only a matter of choosing which one.

Keller then made the first move. He aimed his arm-mounted lasers at REX and fired blood-red beams. REX quickly activated his forcefield to block the attacks, then ejected several razor-sharp discs from his mechanical arm and threw them with pinpoint precision at the laser cannons on Keller's arms, slicing them off.

Keller then charged at REX, the holographic hammer appearing in his hands again, and took several swings at REX. REX dodged each swing with ease and quick footwork. Keller's attacks were blunt and lacking form; he was an amateur at combat. If this was the best the Prophet had at his disposal, the war was as good as over now.

REX continued to dodge Keller's swings for a few moments, then dealt a quick five-punch combo into his center mass when an opening was revealed, followed by a punishing elbow strike to Keller's head. The strike stunned Keller, causing him to loosen his grip on his hammer. REX in turn, disarmed him of his hammer and turned it against him, dealing powerful strikes to Keller with his enhanced strength enabling him to swing the hammer with incredible speed.

REX didn't let up on his assault. He kept on with his attack on Keller, swinging the hammer and connecting every hit because Keller didn't have the fighting technique nor the combat experience to defend himself. A powerful upper swing into Keller's chin sent him off balance and onto his back.

But then the hammer faded in REX's hands, which meant that Keller finally realized that he could disable it with his armor systems. Keller got back up on his feet and let out a frustrated shout. The roar was actually a signal of confidence to REX, because it was telling him that Keller was losing.

Keller then charged at REX in apparently a desperate attempt to deliver a punch. In that moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion before he closed the distance. REX instinctively dropped to one knee as Keller came close, drew out his knife, and delivered a slash right into a small opening in Keller's knee, cutting flesh and making Keller tumble over as he went past REX.

REX then turned to Keller and approached him slowly as the man tried to get back up. The deep cut into his leg definitely caused some nerve damage along with severe blood loss. Keller could only steady himself on his knees as his leg was seeping blood, signifying that he wouldn't be alive for long.

Keller's voice was weak. "I cannot fail."

A high-level weapon alert flashed in REX's HUD. He quickly put up his forcefield to block the EMP blast that soon erupted from Keller. The first time REX was distracted by the arrival of WALL-E and the girls, but this time he wouldn't let Keller get a cheap shot on him once again. EMPs could only distort REX's vision for a brief moment if he blocked the blast.

When REX recovered his sight, Keller was still on his knees, heart rate slowly dropping as indicated in REX's bio scanner. Keller was slowly fading away from life, and that EMP was a wasted attempt to take REX with him.

But the man deserved no pity. REX walked up to Keller and ripped off his helmet. Keller only stared at REX as he pulled out his pistol and pressed it to his face. No words, no emotion, and no regrets as REX pulled the trigger. This was war, and people die in wars.

Now it was only the Prophet left to take care of. His army was gone and his second in command was executed. The Prophet had no more trump cards left and it was only a matter of time before REX could put a bullet in his brain like he did with Keller.

REX looked around at everyone. They all watched him in surprised shock, save for WALL-E, as EVE had his face buried into her chest to keep him from seeing the event that had just unfolded. REX was glad she did that, he didn't want his brother to watch an execution, especially when his brother was the executor. He wasn't proud of his killer side, but he did what needed to be done.

"Come in Keller. Are you there?"

REX heard the voice emanating from Keller's helmet. It was the Prophet.

He picked up the helmet and ripped out the built-in communicator, putting it up to his mouth. "Remember me?"

". . . REX, surprised that you're still alive."

"I'd say the same about you, but we both know that you won't be after I'm done with you."

"Still the cold-blooded machine."

"Call me cold-blooded? I wasn't the one who killed millions of lives in a war for global power."

"The war's over now. Why can't you accept that?"

"The man I'm talking to is the reason. The war's not over till one of us is dead. I'm coming for you."

"You may have destroyed my army, but I can raise more. I shall bring a new beginning for this world."

Again with the lies. "Nice one, did you get that out of a cereal box?"

"How dare you question my motives. What I do, I do for the good of all of us."

"Stow it. I know the real reason you started the war. You told me yourself when I nearly had my hands around your neck."

"What are you talking about?"

That last bit confused REX. The Prophet himself told REX why he started the war when they first fought, because he thought it would be their last. The Prophet only wanted control over the entire planet, and he used those lies about "a new era" to persuade others to join his cause. If the Prophet believed his own lies, then his sanity had truly been lost.

"Fine, lies or not. I'm not letting you succeed. This ends now."

There was a slight crackle of laughter. "Come and get me."

A loud rumbling sound erupted from the north. When REX turned in the direction of the sound, he saw the _Atlas_ lifting up into the sky. The Prophet was escaping into space.

REX crushed the communicator in anger. The Prophet had gotten away. He couldn't end the fight.

_Unless . . ._

REX immediately activated his built-in comlink and set a link for McCrea's comm. "Cap, the _Atlas_ is escaping into space. I need a ship to follow it."

"Get everyone back to the _Axiom._ We'll work something out."

"Got it."

REX ordered everyone to head back to the _Axiom._ All except WALL-E, EVE, and Neon did so. They came up to him with concerned faces.

"We're close," REX said. "It'll be over soon."

WALL-E nodded in acknowledgement, EVE and Neon did the same. REX couldn't help but admire their newly developed confidence. Back when he first met them, they had untouched potential. WALL-E's caring nature showed he had the capability of becoming the best family overseer in existence; EVE had the leadership potential to match REX's tactical experience, making her a possible predecessor to him, and Neon had the fighting heart to be a great soldier. They all had great capabilities, which REX had managed to bring out with the time he had spent with them.

"Let's head back to the _Axiom._ " REX then said. "We need to discuss how to end this war for good."

WALL-E and EVE went off towards the ship. REX was about to follow, but Neon stopped him.

"REX," she said. "Come."

REX wondered what Neon had in mind. She had a serious-mannered expression, which meant it was important.

He followed her back to WALL-E's truck, but she didn't go inside. Instead, Neon turned to REX and wrapped her arms around his neck. REX put his hands on her waist in instinct to return the love. He felt very happy whenever she expressed her love to him. A girl was definitely one of the most important things missing in his past life.

"REX," Neon said. "EVE . . . told."

It took a few moments for REX to realize what she was talking about: EVE had asked her sister about the issue of having kids.

He dropped his head in shame. He only knew Neon for less than a month. It was a stupid idea to ponder the issue of having kids with her. He was pushing things too fast.

But Neon lifted his head up with her hand to make him look at her. She gave a light smile, which made REX feel slightly better.

"Someday," she said. "REX . . . father."

"You're . . . you're sure about this?"

Neon nodded. She gave REX a light spark-kiss along with a tight hug. It made him a lot happier than ever before now. Neon was willing to give him the life General Warren always wanted him to have. She was willing to make him a father.

But REX was already happy, because it started with finding his blood brother. WALL-E made him realize something else in life by becoming his brother. He learned about true love by studying WALL-E's relationship with EVE, and then he found love by meeting Neon.

"Whenever you want to." He said. "Your choice, not mine."

"Okay." Neon replied. She gave him another spark-kiss and leaned her head into his.

This was how REX's life should be. No more taking lives in a war, or witnessing the deaths of those closest to him. No more being pushed around by careless superiors who didn't even care about his own life.

In his past life, REX lived by rage and pain because of the war. But his new life gave him a new outlook. WALL-E became his brother, EVE was his most trusted friend, and Neon was his love. Once the Prophet was gone, he could go back to being with them. His family.

General Warren wanted this for him, and he was going to have it.


	14. Loose Ends

"I need details. Once I know more about the _Atlas,_ I can work out an effective strategy."

EVE stood in the captain's room of the _Axiom_ with WALL-E held firm in her arms. Neon and the sisters hung at her sides while REX discussed a strategy with McCrea and Talon.

She recalled the plan so far. They planned on using the EVE transport ship to fly to the _Atlas._ Once they got to it, their mission was to bring the ship back to earth while REX took out the Prophet.

The reason it was "they" was because WALL-E, EVE, Neon, and the sisters volunteered to help REX with the plan. REX had already done so much for all of them: changing Auto from an enemy to an ally, saving WALL-E from certain death, and vowing to protect his family. It was now time to return the favor.

"How can we bring the _Atlas_ back?" McCrea asked. "Surely the Prophet had knocked out the navigation systems on the ship by now."

"Maybe, maybe not," Talon replied. "But there is another option: the _Atlas_ Holo-detector."

"I thought the _Axiom_ was the only BnL starliner with a Holo-detector." REX cut in. "I did my homework. It was supposed to be the only ship that would search for plant life during Operation: Recolonize."

"The _Atlas_ wasn't just made for harboring reconstruction materials, it also served as a backup for the operation in case something happened to the _Axiom._ The ship has its own Holo-detector and search probes. Could explain why Epsilon and Auto were close friends: they had similar responsibilities."

"Then all we need is a plant specimen," REX turned to McCrea. "You don't happen to have one on hand, do you?"

"I'll get the shuttle and the plant prepared." McCrea took off for the elevator. "Meet me outside the _Axiom_ when you're ready."

REX stared out the viewscreen that oversaw the Lido Deck, crossing his arms to give the sign that he was in deep thought. The biggest factor that would result in the plan's success was REX's strategy. EVE thought it was a lot of pressure for him to be going through this much trouble, but she was sure that he knew what he was doing. He was an experienced war veteran, he had dealt with these kinds of situations all the time.

Talon went up to REX and put his hand on his shoulder. From what EVE reasoned, Talon and REX seemed to have developed a close friendship. She only knew of General Warren from the videos she and WALL-E stumbled on at the Hangout, but Talon seemed to be a lot like him because he was trying to help REX. She wondered what it was like to have a father figure in life. She never had a father, none of the BnL robots did.

"REX," Talon said. "If you can reactivate Epsilon, he can help you. He controls the ship and he'll take orders from you if you tell him I said so."

"I'll keep that in mind. It's just . . . I thought I left that past behind," REX put one hand on his forehead in frustrated exhaustion. "Then when I finally have the chance to settle down, the most dangerous man from my past comes back and threatens everyone I know. It's losing the ones I care about that concern me."

"But you're confident you will succeed?"

"What kept me going in my past was that I had family in the military: General Warren, Private Sanders, Captain Andreas, and several other soldiers that I was fighting and bleeding alongside with." REX turned to Talon and pointed to WALL-E, EVE, and Neon. "They're the family I gained in this new life. They keep me going."

"I can't find anything more respecting than that." Talon patted REX a few times on the shoulder, then went to the elevator. "Stay alive, soldier."

REX was completely still, one hand covering his mouth to show he was in deep thought. It took a lot of preparation and reassurance to make a plan go by smoothly. EVE learned that from him during one of her private training sessions with REX, in which he was teaching her how to be an effective leader. He needed strategy to make the plan, courage to carry the plan out, and the respect of his team so that they would follow the plan. REX already had the strategy and the respect earned, EVE figured it was the courage that he was still working on.

Neon went up to REX and gave him a hug. He smiled in response and returned the hug.

"It'll be over," he said. "Then we can go back to our _real_ lives. We can all be happy."

WALL-E went up to REX and hugged him too. EVE followed suit after WALL-E motioned for her to do so.

"Family." WALL-E said.

"We are a family." REX responded.

This was how it ended up for all of them. EVE had met WALL-E through slim chance, and fell in love with him. REX came from a rough past, but put WALL-E above all else by becoming his brother due to their similar pasts, as well as earning EVE's full trust and Neon's love. From the way EVE saw it, she and Neon belonged to WALL-E and REX. They both had horrible pasts and needed each other to keep themselves from falling apart. EVE and Neon were the ones who fell for their caring hearts and helped them through their pain by giving them love. That in turn, made all of them a family.

EVE then noticed that Angel, Izzy, and Vi were looking at them with expressions that signified they wanted to be in the hug too. She motioned for them to come over and join in, which they did. She made a secondary note to try and find companions for the rest of them. EVE wanted all of her sisters to be as happy as she was with WALL-E.

Soon, EVE would be able to enjoy the life she had before. She would be able to give her love to WALL-E and be happy her entire life. Someday, she would even try to have a _real_ family; make WALL-E a father one day like REX sometimes thought about with Neon.

Eventually, everyone parted the group hug. The mood was positive, as everyone was smiling.

"Let's head for the launch site," REX said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back to enjoying out lives."

They went for the elevator and took it down. EVE willingly took WALL-E's hand in her own and gave him a loving smile. He smiled back in response and leaned slightly into her. Once it was over, she could get back to showing him affection whenever she wanted to.

Once the elevator reached the bottom, the doors opened and everyone stepped out. Several humans and robots hung around the Lido Deck with concerned and some distressed facial expressions. This was truly not a good time for them since there was a psychopathic terrorist on the loose.

John and Mary appeared from the horde and came up to the group. John shook hands with WALL-E and REX while Mary gave gentle hugs to the girls.

"It's almost over," John said. "Isn't it?"

"Soon," REX replied. "The Prophet's days are numbered. We won't have to worry about him anymore."

"You already sound so sure."

"He's my past—and my problem. I'll see to it that the light from his eyes go out. I'm not stopping until he's dead."

"REX," Mary cut in. "Don't do this for revenge. It won't make you a better person."

"It's not just about revenge. I'm doing it to make sure he won't cause any further harm to my family. Once the Prophet is gone, they'll be safe."

REX then started for the exit. WALL-E and Neon followed him along with the sisters. EVE went as well, but Mary quickly caught her arm.

"EVE," she said. "Some of us are concerned. You and WALL-E have been through so much in the past. I know REX means well, but his violent nature is still a concern. Some of us are still scared of what he might become."

EVE was somewhat angry. How could some of the _Axiom_ passengers still not trust REX after all he's done? He saved WALL-E from death, he changed Auto, and he led the resistance against the Syndicate army. It wasn't fair for REX to do all of those things and still be feared instead of respected. REX said he never wanted to be a hero, but EVE wanted his name to be remembered for a long time. She trusted him because of his motives for staying alive: protecting his family.

That in turn, made REX her best friend.

EVE shrugged off Mary's hold on her arm. "REX . . . friend."

Mary paused for a moment, then gave a submissive nod. "Okay. I trust your judgment. You're WALL-E's girl after all, and he's done so much for us in the past."

EVE gave her a hug to show her thanks for understanding, then headed for the rest of the group. Everyone was waiting by an exit hatch with REX standing by the controls. Once she got up to the group, REX hit the opening mechanism for the hatch to open.

They went outside to see the EVE shuttle transport set up a few yards away in a clearing and ready for departure. McCrea, Talon, several _Atlas_ and _Axiom_ humans, and a few maintenance bots waited by it.

EVE wasn't very fond of the ship. Whenever she was in it back during her evaluator directive, she was dormant the whole time. Not to mention it nearly took her away from WALL-E when it came back to retrieve her, almost severing their relationship before it had a chance to start. After this mission, she would ask REX to get rid of it by any means possible. She wanted nothing to do with the ship.

The group got up to McCrea and Talon. REX came up to them and gave nods of acknowledgement. EVE admired REX's defiance. She learned that McCrea and Talon were naval captains, and REX was a field captain. They outranked him, but REX never saw it that way. His loyalty was to his family, not to rank.

"Everyone ready?" Talon asked.

"You see any of us standing down." REX replied.

"Easy, REX. I want this over as much as you do."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, I'm just a little uneasy right now."

Angel, Izzy, and Vi began to head into the transporter via a loading ramp that stretched out on the side. McCrea then pulled out a plant inside a small, worn-out boot from a pocket in his captain's uniform. It was the same boot that the very first plant was in; the founding object for WALL-E and EVE's relationship.

"I've given the transport my authorization codes so the _Atlas'_ automated docking station will think it's one of their own." Talon said. "Auto will take remote control of the ship. After that, you're on your own."

EVE took the plant in her inner compartment, then waited as REX finished his parting briefing with Talon and McCrea.

"This will be over." REX said calmly. "Soon the war will officially come to an end."

"You take care of yourself, REX." McCrea said. "WALL-E's your brother. He needs you."

REX went over to WALL-E and put him in a friendly armlock. "Brothers to the end. That's why he's coming too."

"Good luck," said Talon. "And Godspeed."

REX, Talon, and McCrea saluted each other, and REX went into the shuttle with WALL-E, EVE, and Neon following behind.

They entered a small room with Angel, Izzy, and Vi waiting in it. There were only five egg-shaped slots on the wall and a small window at the end. This was where EVE and her sisters would be when the ship took them on evaluator missions.

Everyone sat around, waiting for Auto to take control of the ship. It was silent as no one was willing to talk. This was a mission of life or death so there wasn't much to discuss, not to mention that only REX could speak fluently, so it would be extremely difficult to get a conversation going.

Eventually, Auto sounded over the ship's intercom. "Taking off in five minutes."

REX leaned against the wall and stared out the window, looking at the brown sky. Neon went to give him a gentle hug while the sisters went into their dormant states in the egg slots. WALL-E came up to EVE and stared at her in concern. She immediately took his hand and held it tight. It was going to be dangerous, they needed whatever hope and motivation they could get to make it through.

What EVE was most concerned about was WALL-E's safety. He was nearly taken from her—twice. And this mission was putting his life in danger yet again. She couldn't lose the one she loved so much. WALL-E was everything to her.

But she knew that he would be safe. So long as REX was around, he would protect WALL-E. REX just wants his family to be safe and happy, and would do whatever it took to make that happen. EVE could always trust WALL-E's safety in REX.

They had REX, so they would come out alive.

* * *

A strange turn of events.

WALL-E felt the room shake and vibrate as the shuttle began to lift up into the sky. He remembered riding this ship before when he tried to pursue EVE, except he was on the outside of the ship. Inside, it felt much—smoother.

He held EVE's hand tight in his out of discomfort. This ship brought her to him, but it almost took her away from him as well. He hated the ship because of that; he wanted to get out of it as soon as possible.

WALL-E noticed EVE had a downtrodden look on her face. He immediately gave her a hug to comfort her. He knew what she was feeling: they were in danger because of this dangerous mission.

But WALL-E only felt slightly uneasy. It was because he had his brother leading them. REX had powerful abilities as his disposal and he was smart at using them, not to mention his loyalty to his family meant he would devote every resource he had to protect them. If anyone could get them through this, it was REX.

A few minutes later, the shaking stopped. WALL-E turned to the window and saw a black void with white pieces scattered about. They were in space.

He went to the window and peered out in astonishment. WALL-E remembered seeing the wonders of space back when he rode the transport shuttle the first time. The stars and planets that passed by were so amazing to look at, but WALL-E could only think of one thing more beautiful than the glories of space, and it was EVE.

He turned to her and beckoned her to come to his side. EVE smiled and obeyed his wish. She picked him up in a hug and nuzzled him affectionately as she came over.

"My . . . WALL-E." She cooed to him.

WALL-E vibrated in a pleasant response. He loved EVE more than anything and never wanted to be away from her. He went through so much in the past with bringing back the humans and nearly dying, but it was worth it.

"Never been in space before. It's amazing."

WALL-E turned to see REX standing behind him while Neon floated by his side, holding his hand. REX gazed out the window with an interested grin on his face.

"To think, the last time you were out here, you were chasing your future girlfriend. Now, you're back in the stars again trying to help me stop a madman."

"Brothers," WALL-E replied. "Stay . . . together."

REX came up to WALL-E and put him in an armlock. He ruffled his head playfully with his knuckles and laughed slightly. "That's right. We're brothers. We always stick together."

WALL-E smiled in response. Brotherhood was something that he and REX always took seriously. They both had brothers in their past lives: WALL-E with his other counterparts and REX with the men he fought alongside in the war. It was terrible that they both had to lose them all, but that loss made them find brothers in each other. It was something REX liked to say: _We call ourselves Brothers in Arms because it's not the same blood that makes us brothers, but that we're willing to die for each other. You would die for your brothers, because they're sure as hell going to do the same thing._

So WALL-E already saw REX as his brother even before he earned his blood. It was that energy transfer REX gave him when he was weak on that rainy day that bonded them by blood, but they didn't become brothers because of similar blood. They became brothers because they were willing to die for each other.

A few moments later, Auto rang out on the shuttle's speaker system. "Coming up on the _Atlas._ Proceeding to dock in the hangar."

REX quickly set WALL-E down and went to the exit hatch. He made a loud whistle to wake up the sisters and his smile disappeared. This wasn't the caring, loyal, and sometimes annoying REX WALL-E knew anymore, it was the machine that fought and killed without mercy. WALL-E was now looking at a soldier.

Several small cans ejected from a slot in REX's mechanical arm. They were completely grey in color and had spray dispensers, indicating they were paintcans.

"Cover yourselves with this. It's a dark-grey camouflage. The _Atlas_ should have the atmospheric simulator set to nighttime, so the darkness can benefit us if we use dark colors."

Everyone took the cans and sprayed on each other. EVE and her sisters went from a bright white color to a dirty, dark grey on their exterior and their eyeforms were dimmed slightly, casting no visible glow but still could be seen in lighted areas. WALL-E turned a full grey with his solar charge meter blocked out by the paint. REX altered his clothes, mechanical arm, and his bonnie hat to a full black color. The dark colors definitely would aid them in stealth, as even WALL-E had a small problem noticing everyone clearly.

REX then signaled for everyone's attention. "Primary objective: locate the Holo-detector and insert the plant into it. If you see the Prophet, do not engage. Inform me immediately and I will handle the rest."

REX then gave them all what WALL-E believed to be a look of admiration. "This is where the training pays off. I won't say it's been an honor working with you, because I expect all of you to come out of this alive. This war ends today."

Auto chimed in. "Docking successful. Good luck, Captain."

REX opened the hatch and immediately dashed out. WALL-E, EVE, and the sisters followed him out into the _Atlas'_ hangar. It looked just like the _Axiom's_ hangar, only a lot bigger in room length. The whole area was empty save for a few maintenance bots that didn't take notice of them.

WALL-E felt a strange tingling sensation come over him. REX had said something about an adrenaline rush that occurs when you get excited. He said soldiers acted on adrenaline so they could use their trained skills on instinct instead of having to think and process the action (almost like they were doing things without even realizing it). It saved time, and it saved lives.

REX went to a nearby console and started typing on it. He was completely focused, not fazed at all. This must've what he was like in his past life during missions. Lack of emotion and just complete focus.

A few seconds went by. "Got the ship schematics. Okay, the _Atlas_ has the same interior structure as the _Axiom_ with the just a few extra sections. The Holo-detector is located in the main plaza just past the manufacturing center. Should take us about five minutes if we don't-"

REX immediately shut up as a beeping sound emitted from the nearby elevator door. He quickly pulled out his pistol and put his back on the wall next to the door while EVE and her sisters scattered and hid behind pieces of cover with their cannons drawn on the door. WALL-E immediately went to REX's side and stood by him.

WALL-E saw REX attach a small tube to the end of his pistol. He remembered REX telling him that it was called a "silencer," a small attachment that could muffle the pistol's shots so that they were barely audible when the pistol was fired. _Silence is golden because the enemy will fall without even knowing what happened._ That was something REX had told him and EVE when he trained them in stealth and infiltration.

When the elevator door opened, REX quickly got in front of it and fired his pistol repeatedly at something WALL-E couldn't see because of his position. The pistol made faint _pft-pft-pft_ sounds that WALL-E almost missed hearing. The silencer worked like a charm.

When REX stopped shooting, he went into the elevator. WALL-E came around to see two slashers on the ground with several holes in their heads. Guess that army they fought didn't have all of the slashers committed to its forces.

"They're not alerted," REX said as he brought the bodies out of the elevator. "Standard patrol. Most likely there's gonna be more throughout the ship."

EVE and her sisters regrouped with them as they stepped into the elevator and took it to whatever destination REX put in on the console. They arrived in a large hallway with numerous robots rushing through the busy lanes. WALL-E remembered seeing something like this during his first visit on the _Axiom._ Only difference then and now is that he wasn't going through this alone, he was doing it with the ones he trusted more than anything else.

WALL-E took point and looked around the hallway, keeping an eye out for any slashers or anything that could represent a threat. REX taught him that his small size made him perfect for recon as he would be extremely difficult to see. Add that to the dark grey camouflage, and he was practically a ghost.

The area was clear. WALL-E motioned for everyone to move ahead. REX took the lead while EVE picked up WALL-E and followed him with the sisters.

There were barely any Syndicate threats throughout the way. On occasion would there be a slasher that they would either avoid or take out. It seemed that most of the Syndicate forces were wiped out in the battle back on earth so there was nothing left to guard the _Atlas._ This mission would most likely go smoother than WALL-E thought it would.

They continued down the hallway until REX stopped at a large hatch on the side. He motioned for everyone to stack up at the door. WALL-E, EVE, and Angel took the right side while the rest went to the left.

REX had trained everyone to read his hand motions carefully so he could tell them what to do without speaking. It served them well in this situation as WALL-E understood what REX meant when he put up three fingers and pointed to EVE and Neon, then himself. _Three targets. EVE, Neon, take out two of them and I'll get the last._

They nodded in agreement. REX readied his pistol and put his hand on the opening mechanism. EVE and Neon reared back slightly, ready to attack.

Then, REX opened the door. WALL-E saw three slashers just a second before REX, EVE, and Neon charged them. REX tackled his target and fired several rounds into the head while EVE and Neon made quick swipes with their arms and decapitated their targets.

It all happened so fast. WALL-E could just marvel at how well REX's training had improved them. He already thought of EVE and her sisters as dangerous from just having their ion cannons, but REX's training had made them even more deadly. He would have to make sure not to get on EVE's bad side in the future.

REX then motioned for the rest to come in. WALL-E immediately responded along with the remaining sisters, carefully avoiding the bodies on the ground so as to avoid making any loud noises.

It must've been the manufacturing division, but the place was _huge._ Several hundred conveyor belts ran around the entire room like giant spiderwebs with metal parts running along them. It took a while for WALL-E to notice that they weren't on the ground floor, but actually on a high ledge with three lifts on the sides to move around the room. He peered over the edge, but couldn't see the bottom.

"The main plaza is at a door on the other side," REX said. "Follow me."

REX then started doing super jumps from one conveyor belt to the next to get across the large chasm. WALL-E even saw the grappling hook in action. REX's mechanical hand would shoot from his wrist with a wire attached to it and grab a ledge so REX could reel himself up to the ledge if he couldn't jump to it.

EVE picked up WALL-E and flew across the room with the sisters following behind. As they flew, WALL-E noticed a razor-sharp claw on one belt and a head with red eyes on another. If his gut-instinct was right, the Prophet was building another army of slashers.

They continued on until they arrived at another large hatch on a ledge similar to the one they entered the room in. REX was waiting by the door with his arms folded.

He opened the hatch and led the way down another hallway. The lights in the area gave a dark-blue illumination, creating a dark atmosphere that certainly benefitted the robot team with their camouflage.

They arrived at the main plaza, which looked a lot like the _Axiom's_ Lido Deck (minus the pools), but there were Syndicate logos everywhere. The structures were painted crimson with portions of jet-black to give a more sinister appearance. The Prophet was already at work trying to spread his influence.

They continued on until REX stopped at a raised platform that bore a giant Syndicate logo on the ground. He raised a fist, which meant _hold here._

"The Holo-detector is right here," REX said. "Stay here while I go to the pilot's room and get it activated."

Everyone nodded, then REX took off for a large tower which had to be the pilot's room. WALL-E got a boost from EVE onto the Holo-detector platform and he stayed on lookout while EVE and her sisters patrolled the area with their ion cannons at the ready.

WALL-E got nervous as time went by. He was in hostile territory, where anyone they ran into would be registered as a threat. It must've been hard for REX, because he had to deal with this kind of thing many times during his war career.

But this mission would guarantee their safety if it was successful. The Prophet was the reason why their lives were in danger, and REX swore that he would end him for good. REX promised them a better future, but WALL-E wanted the Prophet gone because it would help his brother as well.

WALL-E saw something different in REX when they first met. REX was a killer in his past life, but when WALL-E first saw him, he saw something else: a look of fear, and a need for belonging. It was the same look WALL-E once had: he was lonely.

They were both lonely before, just in different circumstances. WALL-E lost his brothers over time and had to live on the earth alone while REX went day after day of losing his friends to the horrors of war. They both experienced loss, and they both experienced pain.

But because of that had they found a bond of brotherhood in each other. REX losing the ones he cared about in war and WALL-E losing his brothers over time was something they saw in each other, and made them realize what they had in common. It was a pact that WALL-E and REX made between each other: _death and loss shares a common trait between us. We are the same because of our pasts. We are brothers._

A strange whizzing sound snapped WALL-E out of his thoughts. As he turned in the direction of the sound, there was a big flash and everything went dark.

* * *

REX climbed up the garbage chute leading up to the pilot's room using magnetic conductors in his body that allowed him to stick to the walls.

 _So close._ REX thought. He just needed to get into the pilot's room, activate the Holo-detector, find the Prophet, and finish the job. It would finally be over. He could finally leave his past behind.

REX continued up until he reached the trash lid. He opened it slowly and surveyed the area using a variety of filters to search for any humans or robots. Nothing showed up after a few seconds; the room was empty.

He climbed out of the trash chute and surveyed the area. The captain's room was dark with random objects scattered and thrown about, signaling the place was recently ransacked. What caught REX's attention was portions of writing on the walls that ranged from _A new era_ to _Buy n' Large is a lie._ If these were written by the Prophet, then they were clear evidence of his insanity.

REX held his knife in a reverse grip while keeping his pistol held in his other hand as he approached the elevator. His sensors didn't pick up anything, but he could never be too sure. When he pressed the button for the elevator, he went to the side of the door in case there were unexpected guests in it.

The door opened, but no one was inside. REX put away his knife but kept his pistol out and stepped into the elevator and took it up to the pilot's room.

The room was completely dark. REX again surveyed the area with his pistol ready in case of any surprises. General Warren always taught him never to take chances, so if even his sensors said it was clear, he needed to make sure using his eyes and ears.

Again, the room was empty. REX kept his pistol at his side while he looked around the room for anything that matched the activating schematics for the Holo-detector he downloaded from the _Axiom_ main computer the day he first met WALL-E and EVE. Knowledge definitely wins the fight every time.

REX took notice of a black-colored wheel, whom he assumed had to be Epsilon. He went over to the autopilot and turned him back on.

"Wha—what happened?"

"Epsilon, no time to explain. Can you activate the Holo-detector so we can bring the _Atlas_ back to earth?"

"Negative, only the Captain has authorization to activate the Holo-detector. The activation switch is right there, but we need the Captain's thumbprint to open the glass barrier."

"I don't have time for this."

REX went to the activation switch for the Holo-detector and smashed the glass barrier. After clearing some of the shards away, he pressed the blue button to activate the Holo-detector. A loud alarm blared, and a green light illuminated the room.

"Damn," REX grunted. "That blows our cover."

"Do you have a plant specimen for the detector?" Epsilon asked.

"WALL-E and the girls do. They're waiting by the detector and should be putting it in right now."

"I don't see them there."

"What?" REX quickly dashed over to the viewscreen overlooking the Holo-detector. His nerves spiked because while the detector was open, WALL-E and the girls were nowhere to be seen.

 _This can't be good._ The team was more than smart enough not to disobey his orders, especially during a critical mission. Something happened to them.

Epsilon went over to the nearest console and started typing on it. "The Prophet changed the master override code for the _Atlas._ I can hack through it, but it will take some time."

"Hurry, once you get through, activate the Stewards and have them-"

That ping on the motion sensor stopped REX immediately in his tracks. Someone was coming up in the elevator, and he doubted it was a friendly face. He quickly motioned for Epsilon to play dead while he went behind the elevator to prepare for an ambush. He had done ambushes several times before, this one was no different.

The elevator opened after a few seconds, and out came a figure in armor that resembled Keller's, but was white in color with a V-shaped visor. This wasn't a slasher drone, it was a Syndicate loyalist. One of the _Atlas_ passengers that was loyal to the Prophet's cause.

Regardless, REX had no mercy to spare on any who allied with the Prophet. _That's how war works. You kill the enemy, or they kill you. No time to think about it._ The very first combat advice Warren taught REX during his training. It wasn't something to be proud of, but REX had to do what he needed to.

He stayed hidden until the figure walked over by Epsilon, who was pretending to be shut down still. When the figure had their back to REX, he quickly dashed out and wrapped his arm around the target's neck while firing his pistol into the armor. The enemy made a deep grunting sound, signaling that it was a male under the armor, but was quickly silenced as REX used his other hand to twist his neck with a loud _snap._ He slowly loosened his grip on the man, and he fell to the ground with absolutely no visible signs of life.

Epsilon came back on and looked at REX. "I can't imagine how hard it is for you to do things like that."

"I'm not proud of it either." REX picked up the body and stashed it in a nearby cabinet that was large enough to fit the man. He wouldn't be here for long, and it wouldn't work in his favor if someone else came in later and discovered the body. If he had any stealth left to take advantage of, he would use it. "Epsilon, get the systems online as soon as possible and try to lend help with the Stewards. I need to find the others."

"Very well."

REX went to the elevator and took it down to the ground floor. He handled his pistol in his free hand and converted his mechanical one to his assault rifle as the elevator lowered. While taking out the Prophet and bringing back the _Atlas_ was of significant importance, his family always mattered more. Once he got them back, then he could worry about the other issues.

The doors opened, and outside was a face that REX hated for so long in his life: the Prophet.

REX immediately lifted his assault rifle and prepared to fire as he approached the Prophet. Just standing only a few feet away from the most hated man in his life was enough for REX to impulsively fire his assault rifle at the Prophet. He could finally end this, here and now.

But the Prophet suddenly erected a forcefield to deflect the bullets, and fired a blue laserbeam at REX in response. REX dodged the attack with the use of his enhanced speed, but a sudden jolt in his back sent him to his knees. A powerful shock from a silver-armored figure with an electrical staff was the cause of the attack. The Prophet wasn't stupid enough to fight alone then.

REX tried to get back up, but a tan-colored loyalist pinned him down with a powerful tractor beam that emitted from their wrists. He couldn't move as the electrical blast had sapped most of his power and he became very weak.

The Prophet walked up to REX and got down on one knee to stare at him. REX felt the rage building up as he stared back. Just one chance—one opening—and he could end the Prophet. When the man put his helmet close to REX's face, he spat green-liquid (which was processed R-15 and highly toxic to humans) onto it.

"Still defiant," the Prophet wasn't affected by the toxins because of his armor, but REX was looking for whatever loophole he could find. "Maybe this will teach you."

Another electrical shock hit REX. He yelled in pain as his sensors overloaded and fluctuated with static. Sharp electrical blasts were not only capable of affecting REX's systems, but they hurt too.

"So strange to see you're still alive." The Prophet said as he looked over REX almost mockingly. "My, are you stubborn."

"Let me go and I'll show you how _happy_ I am to see you again." REX growled.

The Propeht laughed. "Those jokes of yours, how I couldn't stand them. Warren taught you a lot, Subject Alpha."

REX was shocked. How did the Prophet know about General Warren? How did he know REX's real name?

"Oh, you still don't know." The Prophet placed his hands on his helmet and proceeded to take it off. "Might as well show you now."

When the helmet came off, REX yelled in rage. Behind that shell was a face that he recognized and hated just as much. A face he had to deal with almost his whole life.

"Jastle, you damn traitor! You've been leading the Syndicate all along!"

"I wanted power, and a war to destroy Buy n' Large would bring it to me. When that corporation was removed from existence, I could conquer the earth and rule it with an iron fist. Operation: Recolonize only hindered my plans, but it made them easier as well. With human society just barely coming back to fruition, the earth will fall under my control without any trouble."

"The loss of your army doesn't exactly prove that point, meatsack."

Jastle looked at REX with that familiar scowl he always gave him in the past. Sometimes REX liked seeing that face because it meant he was making Jastle mad, and he always liked irritating his sorry excuse for a creator.

"Tell me then, why did you have me created to fight against the Syndicate when you were leading it all along?"

"You were created to serve only me. I was planning to use you as the force that would guarantee me the world by having you eventually betray the BnL military. But that fool Warren got into your head with his _learning experiences and kind words._ I created you, I am your father!"

REX again spat in his face, not only out of anger but also to guarantee a later death from the toxic substance. "Screw you! Warren gave me a reason to live. You only wanted me for your own selfish purposes. You know what you are to me: a practice target and nothing more."

Jastle wiped his face, and continued laughing. "Oh, but you will serve me." A small cylindrical object in his hand. "Now hold still, this will work only once."

The object was pressed into REX's head and he started hearing voices.

_Forget . . . forget everything._

_No._ He couldn't forget. He couldn't forget the life he had. He couldn't forget WALL-E, or Warren, or especially Neon.

_You will forget everything._

Remember. He had to remember everything. He had to remember . . . no, what was her name?

_Forget._

_No, don't forget. Fight it. Remember your family. What is your directive?_

. . . he couldn't remember.

* * *

Neon woke up to find herself in a small room with a forcefield wall on one side that served as the only way out.

 _What happened?_ All that she remembered was seeing two figures and a large flash, then her systems shut down and everything went dark.

Neon was ready to blow a hole in the wall with her ion cannon, but it turned out that her right arm was missing. She looked through the forcefield and saw her gun arm along with five others hanging on the wall.

She turned around to see WALL-E, EVE, and her sisters watching her. All of her sisters were missing their right arms as well, which meant only one thing: they were captured.

"No." Neon said quietly to herself. If they were captured, then they were in danger, and that meant REX had to risk himself to get them out. While she knew this was something REX usually dealt with, she didn't want to be a burden to REX and put him in danger. Anything he did that was dangerous worried her.

Why did all this have to happen? Neon just wanted to be with REX. She just wanted to be with her family. She hated the Prophet for bringing all of this trouble.

But how was REX going to find them? He didn't know that they got captured. She didn't want to risk the mission's success, but EVE had the plant.

Then Neon remembered: she couldn't depend on REX's help. She had to do some things herself.

She went up to EVE. Her lead sister was holding WALL-E's hand tight in the one hand she had left. Obviously she was scared because they were defenseless. Neon was scared too, but REX told her that fear could be her greatest weapon. Controlling her fear could give her greater self-control and be allowed to think properly.

"Ideas?" Neon asked EVE.

EVE dropped her head and shook it. "No."

"Wait," WALL-E said. "REX . . . come."

Neon didn't want to rely on REX too heavily. She wanted to be trained by him because she felt more like an equal to him if she learned how to fight. Even though REX said she was everything to him, Neon still thought that his advancements and his skills made her unworthy of his care. So she tried anything she could think of to make it feel like he deserved her.

But once Neon saw Vi go over to the forcefield and give it a hard smack, she gave up in planning when nothing happened. They would have to wait for REX to rescue them. She didn't like it, but she would have to deal with it.

Then there was a hissing sound outside the room. Neon looked out of the room to the right and saw a door open. A familiar figure stepped in.

"REX!" Neon shouted in joy. He had come, she knew he would come.

REX came up to the forcefield, but something was different about him. He didn't smile when he looked at them, he just stood there with a blank face. His bonnie hat and his clothes were set to a crimson-red color, giving him a dark appearance.

"REX?" Neon said in concern. REX didn't respond, which seemed really off. He always responded to her whenever she called his name.

REX hit a switch on the wall and the forcefield dropped. Neon moved up to give him a hug, but then he pointed his pistol at her.

"All of you," he said. "Up against the wall."

"REX," Neon cried. "No."

"I said up against the wall."

Neon started crying. Why was REX being hostile towards them? He put them above all else. Even she knew that he would rip his own head off rather than betray them.

But REX wasn't being sympathetic. He grabbed Neon and slammed her into the wall. His pistol was pressed into her head with his face showing intent.

"Defy me again-" he hissed at her. "-and see what happens."

"REX," WALL-E squealed. "Stop!"

REX quickly redirected his pistol and fired it just above WALL-E's head. WALL-E boxed up in fear and moved to the wall. EVE and the sisters followed after with terrified faces.

Then, a holographic screen appeared on the wall behind REX. On it was the Prophet.

"How are the prisoners handling?" The Prophet asked.

"Putting up a bit of a fight," REX replied. "But no trouble overall."

Neon was shocked. Why was REX working with the Prophet? He hated that man because of what he did in the past. Working with the Prophet would seem like something that couldn't even physically happen with REX.

"Keep them until the execution is prepared," The Prophet said. "Locust will be there shortly, Alpha."

 _Alpha?_ That was REX's original name, and he said he would never use that name again. It only took a few seconds before she figured out what was going: REX's memory was lost and the Prophet brainwashed him.

The screen flickered off, leaving them with REX. Neon had to help REX remember, she couldn't lose him.

"REX," she said. "Please . . . remember."

"Remember what?"

WALL-E slowly stepped up and pointed to himself. "REX . . . WALL-E . . . brothers."

"I can't have brothers. I'm a machine."

Neon was panicking now. REX thought he was just a mindless machine. Her strategy wasn't working.

"REX," she pointed to herself. "Neon."

REX cocked his head to the side in confusion. His hostility seemed to drop. Maybe she was making progress.

Neon pointed to herself, then to REX. "I love you."

REX's eyes widened in surprise, but quickly dropped back into that blank stare. "Robots can't love, you are obviously defective."

"No," Neon was losing him. REX wasn't catching on. "Please . . . remember."

"There is nothing for me to remember. Stop saying that."

"Please." Neon tried to take REX's hand in hers, but he pulled away and put his pistol right in her face.

"No!" REX barked. "You are nothing to me. You are not important to my directive."

"No," Neon cried. "REX . . . family . . . directive."

"My directive is to stop any who interfere with the Prophet. Nothing else."

Neon cried even more. REX was lost. He couldn't remember them and now he was going to kill them. She couldn't be with REX anymore. What had almost happened to EVE was now happening to her. Neon had lost her love.

Then REX lowered his pistol, which confused her slightly.

"Fine, I can show some sympathy." REX said. "If it'll make you feel better before the execution, you can hold my hand."

Even though it was a lost cause, Neon still grabbed his hand with the one she had left, putting her fingers in his and gripping them tight. It only increased the pain. She knew that after this, she would lose REX forever. She couldn't have what made her lead sister happy.

Neon looked at REX. He stared back with that blank expression, no longer a loving look. The REX she knew was gone forever.

Through heavy sobs, Neon gave REX a spark-kiss, then parted her hand. She was going to die at the hands of her former lover. What a horrible way to go.

But then, Neon felt REX grab her hand and hold it tight. She looked back at him, confused.

REX blinked a few times and his head wobbled. His clothes started altering camouflage patterns at a fast pace.

"Please," he said. "Don't . . . go. . ."

Neon lifted in surprise. REX was getting something. Maybe his memory was coming back.

She started pressing him to remember. This was her one chance to get him back. To finally put an end to all of this and be with him forever.

"REX . . . remember."

"I remember . . . "

Neon pointed to WALL-E with a tilt of the head. "WALL-E . . . brother."

"My brothers . . . they're dead."

"No . . . family."

"A family . . . sticks together."

Neon then grabbed REX's head and forced him to look at her. She gave him a peaceful smile, which made a tear come out of his eye.

"REX," she asked softly. "Directive?"

After a few seconds, REX's camouflage stopped at his casual attire. He looked back at her with one that Neon recognized all too well: a look of love.

"My directive," he said. "Is to protect you, WALL-E, and EVE. My family."

"REX!" Neon cried in joy. She gave him a hug and pressed her head into his neck. He remembers now. REX was back.

REX hugged her back extremely tight to the point where he was clinging onto her and not willing to let go. He started crying, which made WALL-E, EVE, and the sisters come in for a group hug to make him feel better.

"I'm so sorry," REX whimpered. "I nearly killed all of you. My own family."

Neon shushed him with another spark-kiss. "REX . . . okay."

"Family," EVE said. "Stay together."

"Brothers," WALL-E said. "Always."

Neon felt so much joy. REX had come back to her; she had her whole family again. It was making her think about what she had now. She had her sisters, the cute hero WALL-E, and her true love. Now she felt the true happiness EVE experience with WALL-E. The joy of gaining her love back after almost losing him.

After a few seconds, REX slowed his crying. "Thank you. You all give me hope for a better life. I love you."

Neon hugged him even tighter. "I love you."

For that moment, Neon forgot about their mission. She just wanted to be with REX. At first, she didn't know why she fell for him at the start, but as she spent more time with him, she found what he had that she adored. It was something that WALL-E, which made EVE fall in love with him:

REX was caring. He was superior to them in every way, but he didn't see it like that. REX cared more about the safety of his loved ones than himself; he valued his family as his top priority, his directive. That's what made her fall for him. When WALL-E had taken care of EVE when she was in stasis, that made EVE fall for him. When Neon saw REX protecting WALL-E from a deranged man at the returning party they had, that made her fall for him. Like EVE with WALL-E, it was REX's care that won her heart.

They continued with their group hug until there was a faint sound of footsteps approaching. REX broke the hug and changed his camouflage to that sinister crimson-red color, confusing Neon.

"REX?" She asked.

"I got a plan," REX replied. "Play along."

Everyone nodded and went to the wall, playing the act of being prisoners. REX pulled out his pistol, but to show he wasn't hostile, he didn't point it at them.

The hissing sound of a nearby door erupted, then a figure in tan-colored armor appeared. It must've been the so-called Locust.

"Alpha," Locust barked, the voice pitch sounded female. "Bring them out!"

"Very well." REX replied. He looked at them with an impressively acted threatening face. He was playing the double agent act very well. "Move it."

Neon moved out first, followed by WALL-E, EVE, and the sisters. They lined up on another wall while Locust and REX stood back.

Locust put her hands on her hips. "Now who do we execute first?"

Neon saw REX inching closer behind Locust. His combat knife was drawn out and held tight in his mechanical hand. "My family is not being executed."

"What did you say?"

Before Locust could react, REX had his arm around her waist to lock her arms while the other brought the knife up and stabbed her in the neck. Neon quickly closed her eyes to block out the gruesome image. She heard a choking sound, then a loud _shcck,_ and then silence.

She opened her eyes to see Locust completely still on the ground with REX standing over her. Neon was sometimes terrified by REX's lack of emotion when he killed, but he was a soldier. _They try to kill you, you kill them first._ A common rule that soldiers were taught, and definitely one that REX went by. If someone threatens any of them, it was all out for REX.

"C'mon," REX said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go home."

They made for the door after the girls collected their cannons. It was time to finish this. Neon just wanted to enjoy being with her family again.

They made their way out of the room and into a hallway. Strangely enough, it was empty. WALL-E checked around the area, then made a raised hand gesture to say it was clear.

REX took the lead with everyone else following. Neon kept her gun at the ready for any more threats. She heard the Holo-detector going off when REX activated it, so that definitely meant the ship was on high alert.

Sure enough, there were several slashers up the path running towards them with a figure in brown armor and red streaks leading the drones.

REX stopped, causing everyone else to do the same, then activated his missile launcher.

"Tight compression!" He yelled.

 _Tight compression_ was an offensive attack they had devised. The probes packed themselves close to REX and fired their cannons along with REX's missile launcher for a powerful, super-combined explosion. It was effective in small rooms or hallways because the enemy wouldn't have room to avoid the attack.

A large blue fireball consumed the brown-armored figure and the slashers along with the closest wall being torn up by the devastating force. REX quickly broke into a sprint following the end of the attack. He moved so fast that Neon had to almost hit supersonic in order to catch up with him. The Syndicate made a fool's mistake in picking a fight with REX. A fighting machine with uncontested skills and an unstoppable motivation—and backup—was something to be feared by anyone.

They continued through the hallways. EVE had WALL-E held tight since he wasn't fast enough to keep up with them. More slashers appeared behind them, but were quickly taken care of by Angel and Vi while Izzy, Neon, and REX dealt with any threats that came from the front. It was all out now, no holding back.

They arrived at the main plaza again, but this time it wasn't empty. Neon saw slashers all over the place. Some on the ground, others on structures, and even some hanging on the walls. Not only that, she saw five robots similar to her design, but black in color with red eyes and more sharp-figured, looking more like jagged ovals than smooth eggs like her. They must've been the _Atlas'_ search probes.

The dark probes brought out their cannons and fired red balls of energy at them. REX blocked the blasts with his shield, then returned fire with his assault rifle.

"Open fire!" REX barked.

Neon instinctively fired her cannon at the closest targets. This was not an easy battle. Not only did she have to avoid the dark probes' energy blasts, she had to worry about slashers coming too close for comfort.

But she would pull through, because she had a reason to stay alive: her family. REX said that soldiers fight because they always had something to come back to. For her, it was going back to being with him once again in peace.

It was an intense battle. Angel and Izzy were engaged in an aerial dogfight with two dark probes high in the air. Vi dashed around with great speed, thinning out slashers with precise cannon blasts. EVE and WALL-E took cover behind a large chair transporter with REX staying close to them, his assault rifle and pistol were drawn and used to a great extent, taking out numerous slashers and two of the dark probes.

Yet for a small moment when Neon's instincts allowed her one moment to think, she realized they had the upper hand. While they were severely outnumbered, they were better trained. REX's ultimate fighting skills decimated the Syndicate's numbers, but also the girls had unique fighting styles thanks to his training whereas the basic-programmed dark probes tended to stay in one place when they fired. A basic attack that Neon and her sisters used before, but were broken of it thanks to REX's training.

Neon saw one dark probe take aim at REX. She quickly dashed at the probe and attacked using the close-quarters combat techniques she learned from her partner. The dark probe tried to bring its cannon on her, but she used swift and precise arm movements to redirect the shots every time. She ended the probe with a quick swing at its gun arm, then brought her own into its chest and fired point-blank. The probe's chest exploded into several pieces, then fell to the ground.

When Neon regained her senses after that adrenaline rush, she saw that the battle was already over. Several pieces of robotic parts laid about on the ground, but none of them were from the robots she knew. EVE had a black scorch mark on her side, indicating that an energy blast had just skinned her.

"Regroup," REX ordered. "Move up to the Holo-detector."

They moved on. Neon stayed close to EVE and WALL-E out of instinct to make sure they were safe. It was mostly because of the mark that EVE had. Her lead sister was capable of handling herself, but Neon was getting protective right now. They had come too far for anyone to die.

They arrived at the Holo-detector platform in a short amount of time. EVE quickly dashed up to it to put the plant in while everyone else stood guard.

But then, the whole ship began to buckle and turn; everything was turned into a 45 degree angle. Neon and her sisters had no problem with the sudden turning, but REX lost his footing for a few seconds and crashed into EVE, causing her to drop the plant.

Neon then heard a voice much like Auto's, which must've been Epsilon, over the ship's PA system. "Alert, one of the _Atlas'_ balance stabilizers was taken out. The ship is turning out of my control."

Neon then saw several figures in the distance converging in their direction. More slashers along with three armored figures: one in silver armor, another in jet black armor, and a third with a bright gold armor design; the Prophet himself.

"REX!" She screamed. REX looked at where she was pointing, and his eyes widened in surprise before he started giving orders.

"WALL-E, EVE, find the plant. Angel, take a sniping position and pick 'em off. Izzy, Vi, provide covering fire. Neon, you're with me."

Everyone acknowledged their orders. WALL-E and EVE took off to search for the plant while Vi and Izzy covered them. Angel flew up high in the air and used her marksman skills to pick off slashers. Neon followed REX and opened fire at his side at the approaching group.

The slasher backup was already being shredded apart, but the loyalists were tougher than they let on. The black figure created a forcefield to block their attacks while Silver dodged them with incredible speed and brought out a staff with electricity coming out the edges.

REX went up to Silver and engaged in a melee with his double-edged sword drawn. They exchanged slashes and swings while Neon stood back with her cannon drawn and attempted to find a open shot to end Silver for good while Angel used her sniping skills to keep Black busy.

But apparently, REX didn't need help. Amidst the fighting, REX got an advantage over Silver by locking his staff with his sword arm and quickly pulled out his pistol and fired one shot into a soft spot on Silver's neck. Silver fell to the ground soon afterwards with absolutely no visible signs of life anymore.

"You will pay for that!"

REX was suddenly hit by a bright red beam. Neon turned to see the beam emanating from Black's palms. She quickly fired her cannon at him to interrupt his attack on REX, but that only made him turn his attack on her. She quickly dashed around through the air to dodge the beams being fired at her while returning fire whenever she could. However, Black's forcefield absorbed her blasts, leaving him unharmed. She needed to find a way to break his defenses.

"Focus fire on Black," REX yelled. "Overload his forcefields."

Neon responded by firing continuously on Black. Izzy and Vi assisted with the assault by providing their own fire as well. The increased barrage of blue blasts nearly obscured Black completely as ion blasts exploded in abundance on his forcefield.

Eventually, a loud crackling sound was heard, followed by a scream of pain. The girls ceased their assault to see Black fall to the ground, but he didn't get back up.

Then, a female voice blared through the area. "Plant specimen identified, commencing hyperjump to earth in ten seconds."

Neon turned to the Holo-detector to see WALL-E and EVE at it with the plant already inserted. She let out a sigh of relief. Their mission was nearly complete.

But she quickly went back into combat mode as she saw the Prophet still standing. She brought her cannon to aim, but couldn't fire as REX was engaged with him in hand-to-hand combat. All she could do is watch.

REX had supreme martial arts skills, but it seemed the Prophet did too. They exchanged punches and kicks, but couldn't land a hit as they both blocked each other's attacks with incredible speed.

Then, Neon was jerked back hard and everything started getting blurry. The _Atlas_ was heading back to earth at hyperspeed. Everyone else was knocked down as well, even the battle between REX and the Prophet was interrupted by the force.

Then, almost as quickly as it started, the jerking stopped. Neon lifted herself back up to see everyone else just starting to recover from the after effects of the jump.

REX and the Prophet immediately resumed their fighting again. Neon drew her cannon and tried to get a bead on the Prophet. This needed to end _now._ She wanted all of this to be over so she could live happily with her family.

EVE and the remaining sisters surrounded the two with their cannons drawn while WALL-E stood a good distance back. They were ready to fire, but no one could risk hitting REX.

REX then broke the streak of blocks. He got a low knee into the Prophet's stomach, then a hard hook-punch into his head. The Prophet fell back, but showed he wasn't going down so easily.

"It's over, Jastle." REX growled. "You're done."

"No, it's not."

Suddenly, there was a bright flash. Neon shielded her eyes, but tried her best to see what was happening. She couldn't let her guard down or the Prophet could hurt one of them.

"REX!" WALL-E yelled.

Neon regained her vision to see WALL-E frantically dashing around. It took only a second for her to realize why he was worked up: REX and the Prophet had disappeared.

She started running her scanner over the area they were before, with panic running through her mind. Already she had almost lost REX twice before, and now a third time seemed to make it look like her emotions were being toyed with. It scared her every time that REX was on the brink of death.

Her scanner results were showing some kind of energy source she didn't recognize tracing the area. Whatever it was, it must've been responsible for REX's disappearance.

"No!" Neon cried. She didn't want to lose REX again. He had been through so much in his past and couldn't go this far just to die. And he had a very good reason to come back:

He needed to come back for her. He needed to come back for his family.


	15. Subject Alpha

It was the pulling that caught him off guard.

REX opened his eyes and found himself face first in a pile of snow. When he got up, he saw that he was in what looked like a frozen wasteland with a dome-shaped structure in the distance. Visibility was low as there was a blizzard currently in progress. REX's temperature readout on his HUD said that it was well below normal conditions for living. His built-in system regulators were the only thing keeping him from becoming a mechanized popsicle thanks to the automated heating procedures that kept his internal systems warm and running.

He remembered seeing a bright flash of light during his fight with Jastle before it happened. It faintly surprised REX that Jastle managed to develop teleportation technology outside of Blackwing HQ because Blackwing employees were known for their almost dream-like technological expertise. But to have teleportation tech integrated into his combat armor was actually impressive considering that teleporting required a two-route when Blackwing invented it, otherwise the results would be messy.

"Remember this place, Alpha?"

REX turned around to see Jastle standing only a few feet away from him, fully armored. That armor was the only thing keeping him from freezing to death in the cold, further limiting the time he would have left alive.

"Northern Siberia," REX said. "Hidden Blackwing outpost. Where I was created?"

"I thought it would seem suitable to end it where it began."

"Fine, just so long as I get to kill you."

REX dashed at Jastle almost immediately with all the intention to end him. The war caused so much death, all because of Jastle's own selfish needs for power. And REX was only created to help him achieve that goal. Jastle needed to die.

They exchanged blows with extreme ferocity. REX relied on his combat instincts and Warren's training as he conducted each attack with perfect succession. He knew from experience how to deal with Jastle: his armor was tough enough to withstand ranged weapons, but up-close and a good thrashing could turn that armor against him because being in a metal suit also worked as a disadvantage. _Shake 'em up inside their suits, and their heads start banging against their own helmets. Do enough of that, and brain damage results afterwards._

And yet it was also complete rage that made REX want to end Jastle with his bare hands. Not only did Jastle cause the pain in his old life as well as taking that life away, he tried to take away his new life by having him nearly kill his own family. Jastle only caused pain to REX. Pain . . . and rage.

They continued their attack on one another. REX knew from experience that Jastle wasn't a true fighter so he couldn't be holding his own so well without upgrades. His armor must've been installed with flash-learned martial arts so that he could keep up with REX's own melee skills.

Suddenly there was an electrical blast that erupted from Jastle's palm, stunning REX briefly. Jastle took advantage of the brief disorientation to open up with a flurry of punches and kicks into REX's center mass. A powerful kick sent REX tumbling back several feet in the snow before coming to a stop on his back.

Jastle came up to REX and stood over him. "I could've used you as the most powerful enforcer of my new world. But you chose to be with a pathetic group of second-rate machines instead. Your skills are wasted. You are pathetic."

Jastle then raised his arm-mounted laser cannons and aimed them at REX. REX swore hard that this wasn't the end. He had come too far to lose now. He had too much to live for because of his family.

But Jastle suddenly broke into a fit of coughing and staggered on his feet. The toxins from the R-15 must've been taking effect now. Jastle's time was limited to only a few minutes before he would succumb to the poison and die.

But REX still had other intentions. He took advantage of Jastle's delay to spring back up and attack furiously, unleashing one strike after another and landing them successfully as Jastle's sickness prevented him from blocking.

REX ended his assault with a devastating uppercut into Jastle's chin. The impact was so hard that Jastle was lifted into the air for a few seconds before landing on the ground back-first.

"I spent seven years being pushed around by you!" REX yelled. "You never cared about what I became, you only wanted me to do what _you_ wanted! You never deserved my loyalty!"

REX slammed his foot down hard on each of Jastle's legs, enough force that there was a loud cracking sound to indicate they were now shattered. Jastle screamed in pain, but REX didn't stop. He activated his assault rifle and fired repeatedly as Jastle lied helpless in the ground. The close-range impact of the bullets tore pieces of his armor off as they couldn't withstand such a violent barrage at near point-blank range.

After finishing his assault, REX did a scan of Jastle's armor systems. Almost all of his suit's internal systems were malfunctioning or shut down. Even the system that regulated his armor's temperature was damaged. Now Jastle could add freezing to death to his list of possible ways to die.

REX then reached for Jastle's head and lifted him onto his knees. He grabbed his helmet and tore it off with force to expose the hated face underneath.

Jastle actually looked scared as he stared at REX. "Please. Have mercy."

"Mercy? MERCY?" REX punched him in the face, drawing blood from his nose. "What makes you think you deserve mercy after everything you did to me? You treated me with no compassion all my life and then you try to take away everything I ever cared about. I'm through with you, this ends _now!_ "

REX ended his outburst with another punch to Jastle's face. A few teeth were actually knocked out of Jastle's mouth because of the impact along with a resulting broken jaw. Pure anger was driving REX now. If Jastle wanted him to be an emotionless machine, then so be it, but only on REX's own terms.

Jastle slowly turned his head back towards REX. His expression changed from afraid to anger. He had obviously used the mercy plead as an attempt for a few more seconds at living. _Wasted attempt._

"Alpha," his words chattered slightly. Jastle was already beginning to suffer from the cold. "I am your creator! You are supposed to obey me!"

"My name is REX, and I only take orders from General Warren."

REX opened a compartment in his mechanical arm and pulled out Warren's .44 Magnum. He flipped out the revolver and found one bullet in the chamber, then flipped it back in and tossed it to Jastle. "Your choice. Option one: you can end it quickly with one shot. Option two: you can let the freezing weather end your pathetic life."

"You can't do this!"

But REX already had. He turned around and started walking away, ignoring Jastle's angry outbursts as he left the man to decide his fate.

Jastle had caused so much pain in the past. REX was alone when he was first created because Jastle never cared about him, then the war he started cost many of REX's friends and further increasing the pain, and when REX finally had a chance to settle down with his new family, Jastle tried to take that away too. The only mercy REX could spare Jastle was leaving him to decide his own fate.

_Bang._

Hearing that one shot made REX let out a sigh of relief. It was over. The war was finally over and the man he hated the most was finally gone. He could finally enjoy the life General Warren meant for him to have. He could finally be with his true family.

REX activated the tracking beacon he placed back on the _Atlas._ The beacon emitted a yellow square on his HUD that marked the location with an extremely long distance counter.

REX activated his hoverboots and sped off towards the marker. "I'm coming home."

* * *

How bad could things get?

EVE stood amongst several others at a memorial made to honor those who fought in the Control Wars as it was officially declared to be over. McCrea and Talon stood on a pile of rubble used as a makeshift podium giving out speeches to commemorate the fallen.

But EVE wasn't listening to the speech. She was focusing on WALL-E and Neon, as both were upset over REX being gone. Neon was crying uncontrollably and WALL-E was boxed up, refusing to come out.

EVE tried to deal with WALL-E first, gently shaking him to get his attention, but WALL-E didn't stir. He was taking the loss of his brother in silence. He had already lost so many, and then he lost another. It was torture to him the way EVE saw it.

So then she tried to help Neon, hugging her sister for comfort. EVE could only imagine Neon's pain, she had suffered what EVE almost experienced. She had lost her love.

"REX," EVE said softly to her. "Hero."

"No," Neon replied through heavy sobs. "My . . . soldier."

REX never wanted to be a hero, because he said he was a soldier. EVE agreed partially with his wishes: he wasn't a hero, he was her friend. When WALL-E first established a bond of brotherhood with REX, it made EVE feel left out, _excluded._ She didn't want to be left out, so she wanted to be trained by REX in order to feel like part of the family. Combine that with her respect for his loyalty to his family, and REX had become her closest friend. The loss of her best friend hurt, but that pain was worse for WALL-E and Neon.

EVE then held Neon's hand with one of hers and grabbed WALL-E's with the other in an attempt to show she was there for the both of them. Neon slowly turned to look at her, but WALL-E still didn't move.

EVE felt something clutched in WALL-E's hand. She looked at it and saw a pair of dogtags held tight in WALL-E's claws.

"WALL-E?" EVE asked curiously.

WALL-E didn't say anything. Instead, he pushed the play button on his recorder without exposing his head. Instead of _Put on Your Sunday Clothes_ or _It Only Takes a Moment,_ it was REX's voice playing on the recorder.

"If I don't come back WALL-E, hold onto these for me. You're my brother, so I need you to stay alive out there. Don't die before I do."

EVE started crying. The brotherly bond that WALL-E and REX had was strong, so strong that the two would fight to the death for each other. REX loved his brother to the point where he would die at any moment if it meant WALL-E would survive. It was the kind of bond that EVE never understood truly, and she hated that she couldn't understand it.

Then EVE got angry. _Why did this have to happen?_ Why couldn't they just have a peaceful life? Why did the Prophet have to come and ruin their lives? Why?

EVE felt so angry because of the Prophet ruining their lives. She wanted to go back in time if she could and end the Prophet before all of this. He caused this, he caused their pain. None of this would've happened if it wasn't for him.

 _None of this._ What was she thinking? The Control Wars was started because of the Prophet, and after that was Operation: Recolonize, and after that EVE and WALL-E falling in love. Although EVE hated to admit it, the Prophet was the precursor for everything that happened in their lives. He had orchestrated their romance, then REX's arrival, and their bonds as a family unintentionally. His death in the past would've changed all that.

So now, she just had to deal with REX being gone. It wasn't something she liked, but she had to deal with it.

EVE gripped Neon and WALL-E's hands tight to hold together the family she had left, then finally tuned into McCrea and Talon's speeches.

". . . and the heroes who fought bravely to stop the Prophet," McCrea said. "They will be forever honored for their actions. Without their sacrifice, we wouldn't be here at all. None of us."

Talon spoke next. "I wish to give my respects to Captain REX. A machine created to kill without mercy, but with a heart that contradicted that purpose. REX's loyalties were only to the ones he loved, and his rage was aimed at those who meant harm. REX refused to be called a hero, so I will say this: he's the best damn soldier I've met in my life. He was caring, fearless and smart."

"Are you giving a background check, because you forgot good-looking."

EVE quickly spun around to see REX standing in the back, clothes slightly torn up. Before she could even move, WALL-E and Neon took off towards him and crashed into him for a tight hug.

REX got back up, but he was knocked down again when EVE slammed into him for a hug. She couldn't help it; her best friend was back. She finally had her whole family together again.

"Good to see you too." REX said to them.

WALL-E chittered happily while EVE and Neon giggled. Finally, they were all together again. The worst was over and they could finally be with each other in peace. It made EVE feel so happy.

McCrea and Talon then walked up to them. "Is it over?" McCrea asked REX.

REX tried to ease everyone off of him. EVE complied, but WALL-E and Neon still clung onto him. They were obviously still excited to have REX back.

"Yeah, it's over. The Prophet's gone for good."

McCrea let out a sigh of relief, and then Talon started clapping. A few others began clapping as well. Soon enough, more and more joined in until everyone was clapping, showing their respects. Some even cheered and hollered in approval.

EVE couldn't resist a smile. She could finally be with her family again in peace. She could finally be with WALL-E without having to worry about his safety, she could be with her sisters, and she could be with her best friend REX. It was truly the best day ever in her eyes.

WALL-E then parted from REX and came up to EVE, staring at her with a cheerful smile. She couldn't help but grab his optics and give him a big spark-kiss in celebration. Now she could get back to giving WALL-E love whenever she wanted to. And she was going to start it off with a great amount of affection the entire day.

WALL-E then took EVE's hand and pulled her over to REX, who had Neon in one arm and smiling proudly. WALL-E handed REX his dogtags, which REX took and put around his neck.

"In the past I had many brothers and a father," REX said. "And now I have a real brother, a good friend, and this cute little piece of machine in my arm."

Neon giggled and hugged REX affectionately. EVE did the same with WALL-E so as to not feel left out.

"Family." WALL-E said happily.

"Family." EVE and Neon said.

"Always a family." REX concluded. "We stick together."

The robot family came together for another group hug and held it for a long time. EVE felt so happy again now that she had a family. It was just WALL-E that made a big difference in her life, but being with her sisters and REX now made a bigger impact. It further improved her happiness because she had several others who loved her as much as she loved them.

McCrea broke in. "C'mon! This is a time for celebration. I say a party at the _Axiom._ "

"Do we have any decorations set up?" Talon asked.

"It's a luxury ship. Do we really need to set anything up?"

"Good point."

Everyone then started to head for the _Axiom._ EVE had WALL-E's hand in hers and Neon held REX's as they moved. Now the girls could finally go back to giving affection to their boyfriends whenever they wanted. It made EVE feel even better.

But then EVE took notice of WALL-E and REX exchanging grins. Having known their brotherly attitudes, they were going to play a game.

They moved up next to each other, and REX gave WALL-E a playful push and sprinted in the direction of the _Axiom._ WALL-E soon dashed after him. They were either racing each other or WALL-E was trying to catch his older brother.

WALL-E then went under REX's legs and tripped him, taking them both down. EVE turned to Neon, who was giggling uncontrollably with her hands covering part of her face.

EVE shook her head and smiled. "Boys," She said with a sarcastic tone.

"Our boys." Neon replied cheerfully.

The two sisters giggled again, then hovered up to their boyfriends, who were now wrestling on the ground instead of racing. Neon pulled REX away for an affectionate hug while EVE did the same with WALL-E.

"WALL-E," EVE tried to be straight-mannered, but she couldn't stop laughing. "Behave."

WALL-E nodded in response, then returned the hug she gave him.

"Oh c'mon Mom!" REX mocked. "We'll be good boys, we won't get into any trouble. I'll even cancel the pranks I had in mind."

 _That was it!_ EVE set down WALL-E and went for REX, who shot off like a bullet while Neon picked up WALL-E and followed. If REX's jokes came back, then so would EVE's irritation, and sooner or later she would get him for running his mouth too much.

REX was quick though. EVE found herself actually losing him. His combat enhancements sure made him fast.

That was, until Izzy and Vi came out of nowhere and tackled REX. He struggled, but it became even harder as Angel came in and pinned his legs down.

REX was still laughing hysterically, obviously having too much fun. EVE motioned for Neon to deal with him, and she agreed by handing EVE WALL-E and going to REX for a sloppy spark-kiss, which shut him up almost immediately.

WALL-E looked at EVE and smiled cheerfully. EVE responded by nuzzling him in an affectionate display.

"Our . . . family." WALL-E said. "E-vah, WALL-E, REX, Ne-on."

"Our family." EVE replied. She loved it too: having a family. WALL-E, a trash compactor with a caring heart; EVE, an evaluator probe who gave WALL-E a reason to enjoy life; REX, the war machine with intense protective instincts; and Neon, another probe with the dedication to make REX's life matter by being his partner.

It started with all of them alone and uncared for. But by coming together as a family were they able to overcome those problems.


	16. Family

Things haven't been the same ever since WALL-E came along.

McCrea stood in the captain's quarters of the _Axiom,_ looking out the viewscreen at the party going on throughout the ship in celebration of the end of the Control Wars. Everyone was happy that it was over, and so was McCrea. Not only did it threaten everyone because of the Prophet's motives, but it also had caused so much pain for REX in his past life. Now that it was over, REX wouldn't have to deal with the pain anymore.

McCrea heard the elevator doors open. He turned to see Talon step out and walk up to his side.

"It's feels different," Talon said. "We don't have to deal with the Prophet anymore. It felt like a constant burden during my time in space. Now we finally don't have to deal with him."

"We have REX to thank for that. But I still feel bad about what he had to go through. He just wanted to enjoy his new life, and then the Prophet comes along and nearly ruins everything. REX didn't want to fight anymore, but he still had to just because of an old enemy."

"It was my fault. I still had the Prophet and I only kept him. I should have gave the order to dispose of him a long time ago. None of this would've happened."

McCrea went to put his hand on Talon's shoulder. "Hey, don't blame yourself. Mistakes happen, you just need to learn from them. REX taught me that."

"REX. The hero that saved the earth from being conquered."

"You know he doesn't like being called a hero."

"Still though, he fought only for his family. There is nothing more honorable than that."

The two captains looked out the viewscreen. On the Lido Deck was some kind of dance-off going on. Music was playing and several individuals were dancing all around the deck. Some of the _Axiom_ passengers weren't exactly very good at dancing since their girth wasn't beneficial to their mobility.

"Where is REX and his family?" Talon asked. "I don't see them anywhere."

"Last I heard, they were in one of the luxury simulators. Just enjoying some time with each other."

Talon chuckled. "You know, a lot of people thought that robots becoming self-aware would be a bad thing. I'm not seeing it."

"Robots think differently than we do. You've seen how much WALL-E thinks of EVE and you've seen how much REX values his little brother. They don't take things for granted, they value what they have. I'm not afraid to say it: they're better than us."

"Given what the history books say about us, I won't argue with that."

McCrea took off his hat and placed it on a nearby hanging rack as well as his captain's uniform. He was tired of walking around with the uniform and being too big to fit in it, so he decided to make a mental goal not to put it back on until he was physically fit.

"How are we doing on bringing other starliners home?" McCrea asked.

"Auto and Epsilon are discussing which ships to bring back first." Talon replied. "It'll be a while, but soon enough the planet will be back to its former glory."

"Yep, just needs some hard work and dedication."

Talon then smacked McCrea in the gut. "Well then, start showing some dedication and lay off the food drinks. If you want to start pulling some weight, lose some first."

McCrea laughed. "Hey, at least I don't look like I can throw out my back, old man."

"I'm not that old. I just recently hit my fifties."

"Yeah? Well I just hit my thirties. I still got youth."

The two laughed. It felt great now that there wasn't anything to worry about except working to bring the earth back. McCrea just hoped nothing like this would occur in the future. Another war was something no one could afford with how the world is now.

* * *

"Almost done now."

REX was applying permanent green paint on his mechanical arm with the help of Neon using a small paint can. It wasn't for some random artistic purpose; it was for a special day.

It was their wedding. He and WALL-E were getting married to EVE and Neon.

Fighting the final fight with Jastle left REX thinking: he couldn't take anymore risks, and he had to take opportunities that presented themselves. If he had died in the war, then he would've never earned the family he had now. Most importantly, he would've never met Neon.

REX had talked with WALL-E about the issue. WALL-E understood because he felt the same way as he sometimes had nightmares about losing his chance to stay with EVE because of numerous reasons. After a small discussion, they both reached an agreement and decided to propose to their girlfriends (who in turn accepted) or else they might never get the chance later in life.

But this wedding wasn't like others. They didn't have a big stage or a lot of people to watch. Instead, they just had it privately at the beach simulators, just the four of them. And to show their commitment to each other, they painted colored lines on each other's arms. WALL-E had a blue line to show his commitment to EVE, REX had a green line for Neon, EVE had a yellow line, and Neon had a silver line.

They all stood up, admiring the paint in the simulated sunset that glowed across the beachhead. They planned on having a simple marriage here, enjoy a short honeymoon on the beach, then go to the party that was going on and have some fun.

REX felt a different sense of happiness; a true sense of happiness. Now that Jastle was gone for good, the war was over and he could finally enjoy the life he had now. All the time in the war REX lost members of the family he had. But now he had a family that was here to stay, and it made his life great.

He faced Neon, and WALL-E did the same with EVE. They took the corresponding other's hands and kept the stare going.

"We started our lives apart," REX said. "Alone and cared by no one. But through time have we come together, as a family."

"Family." WALL-E said.

"Family." EVE repeated.

"Family." Neon said as well.

"As a family, our bonds are strong. Brotherhood and sisterhood is something that we know by heart, and love helped bring us closer together. By committing a marriage, we bring ourselves closer together."

Neon smiled at REX, which made him feel very pleasant. Were it not for WALL-E's influence, he might never have found love. He owed everything to his brother for helping him find the happiness in love.

"By holding each other's hand, by sharing a spark, by caring for each other have we already shown our dedication to being together. WALL-E and EVE, me and Neon, we are now husbands and wives."

Neon and EVE cried happily and gave the two boys loving spark-kisses. WALL-E accepted his kiss with a happy warble while REX took his in pleasant silence. Neon was here to stay, and it was all that REX needed to know to be happy.

When REX refocused himself, Neon had her head pressed into his chest in an affectionate hug. EVE and WALL-E leaned their heads together and had their eyes closed. They were all enjoying their significant other's presence; enjoying the feelings of love.

REX then laid down on a nearby blanket with Neon while WALL-E and EVE settled on another. The two couples gave each other gentle displays of affection as they enjoyed the fading sunset.

It was tough to go through a war for nearly seven years, followed by losing everyone REX knew. But to go through that past to have a new life with a permanent family made it feel like a partial reward. REX still missed his old family, but his new family helped the pain go away. It helped to have others who cared.

Neon rubbed her head against REX's in slight nuzzling. REX responded by wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. He just felt like staying with her as long as possible. He was like WALL-E now: he couldn't get Neon out of his head, and he was okay with that.

WALL-E started to play _It Only Takes a Moment_ on his recorder. EVE made a loving sigh and gave him a spark-kiss, making him sigh happily. Neon showed her love to REX by giving him a spark-kiss as well.

"REX," Neon whispered to him. "I love you."

"I love you too." REX replied.

* * *

How could one understand family? From what WALL-E believed, one thought of family from their own point of view. Everyone had a different perspective about family, and that made them unique.

"WALL-E." EVE cooed to him.

WALL-E held EVE by the waist, completely focusing all of his attention to her. He couldn't believe how great his life became because of EVE, but it got even better when REX came along. REX wanted to protect him, to keep him alive so he could be happy. WALL-E couldn't ask for an even greater brother than REX.

"E-vah," he said. "Thank you."

EVE cocked her head to the side in slight confusion. "Hmm?"

WALL-E pointed to himself. "Happy."

EVE smiled in response, then pressed her head into his for a soft display of affection. WALL-E remembered how they first met, when EVE nearly blasted him, and still he was in love with her. He remembered how their adventure brought them together and made them both happy. The only thing WALL-E regretted was scaring EVE so badly when he was nearly killed. He never wanted to upset her again; he loved her so much.

They continued to enjoy the sunset for a long period of time. WALL-E trailed off in thought as he enjoyed his honeymoon with his new wife. This day would be one to remember for all of his life; it was the best day ever.

"WALL-E?" EVE asked him.

WALL-E immediately looked at her to show his attention was focused on her.

"Party?"

WALL-E thought for a moment, then agreed. They should go have some fun now. After all, a special moment like this should be celebrated. If this was going to be remembered, then some fun would help keep that memory.

They went over to REX and Neon and asked them about the party. They agreed and then the family set off for the exit.

They ran into several humans and robots outside the simulators, who started cheering for them.

"It's the heroes of the new world colony!" WALL-E heard someone shout. "Clear the way!"

The crowd began to clear a path to the Lido Deck for the family. WALL-E was thankful for all of these good people. Him bringing back the humans to earth and REX saving them from a dangerous man didn't go underappreciated. It felt great to be respected.

They made their way to the Lido Deck to see an amazing sight. Colored lights flashed around the deck, holographic signs displayed confetti and a message: _To WALL-E and REX, the founders and saviors of a new beginning._

"They pay us so much respect," REX said. "I'm thankful for that. I've never been congratulated for my actions in the past except by General Warren. But truly, I'm thankful for my family."

WALL-E went over to REX and gave him a hug. REX smiled and returned the hug.

"Thanks bro. Thanks a lot."

"Brothers." WALL-E replied. He loved his brother unconditionally and would do anything for him. WALL-E respected REX because of his devotion to protect his family, so he looked up to REX as a younger brother should.

They continued the hug for some time, then parted and started doing some mingling. REX went to have a friendly conversation with a few other humans while WALL-E, EVE, and Neon went to greet the sisters and the rogues.

Vi, being the chatty excitable probe she was, suggested a game of hide-and-seek on the _Axiom._ Everyone agreed and then the next few hours were spent playing the game.

Hide-and-seek became very entertaining for everyone now. REX heavily encouraged they play it because it would help them develop stealth and detection skills. Not to mention WALL-E loved putting his stealth training to the test. Every single game it would be either him or EVE the last ones to be found.

At the start of a new game, WALL-E went up to the pilot's room to hide. He decided to form a partnership with Izzy to make the game more entertaining, so she was in the elevator with him.

Izzy was quiet the whole way up the elevator. WALL-E often saw Izzy as strange, as she was very shy and despite having a limited vocabulator, she didn't talk much. He thought maybe socializing with her a bit would get her to open up some more.

When they got to the pilot's room, Auto greeted them and indicated good hiding spots. WALL-E saw it as strange how friendly Auto was to him now. How ironic that the one who almost killed him was now a trusted friend.

WALL-E caught notice of Izzy making a nervous giggle when she passed by Auto, who didn't seem to notice and went back to a nearby console. That would be very strange for a relationship to form between those two. Then again, WALL-E had _no_ business in other relationships except to provide helpful advice. Just let it go its own way.

WALL-E hid in a nearby ventilation duct while Izzy took cover underneath the pilot's control desk. And they waited.

Some time later, the elevator doors opened to show M-O step out. This time, M-O was "it" as they needed a change in the game's play style; Vi kept on wanting to be "it" all the time.

M-O almost immediately found Izzy, but it took some time before he found WALL-E. Thanks to REX's training, WALL-E knew a lot about which hiding places would work best in his favor. Although he couldn't use a hiding spot that was too good, or he would probably never be found.

WALL-E gave M-O a friendly handshake, then they went back down the elevator to the Lido Deck. Once they got there, they found everyone but EVE waiting for them. Obviously M-O hadn't found her yet.

WALL-E then decided to help M-O find EVE. It certainly would be fun tracking down his new wife and hopefully be rewarded with some affection for finding her.

They wandered throughout the ship in search of EVE. They checked the escape pods, the game sections, the suite complexes, and several other places. Four hours went by and still no sign of her, so they decided to split up to cover the ship faster.

WALL-E wandered through a large hallway that was almost empty. Just a few humans and robots passed by, giving him friendly greetings as they went.

A scuffling sound was heard from a nearby storage closet as WALL-E passed by. He curiously went to it in the hopes of finding EVE. But when he opened the door, two white hands grabbed him and pulled him in.

"Got you!" EVE squealed in delight. She pinned WALL-E to the ground by laying herself on top of him and started spark-kissing him repeatedly. WALL-E moaned happily as he found himself drifting from reality as that pleasant sensation overwhelmed him. Whenever EVE displayed her affection to WALL-E, he was basically her slave from then on as he had no control of his movements.

After several minutes, EVE let off her assault. She stopped the spark-kissing, but stayed on top of WALL-E and tucked her head underneath his.

"WALL-E." EVE said lovingly to him.

"E-vah." WALL-E replied in the same tone.

WALL-E stared at the blue line on his arm, then at the yellow one on EVE's. He thought it was a great idea to have their colors marked on each other to symbolize their marriage. REX always knew what was best for them; if WALL-E ever had any doubts on his brother's judgment, it was gone now.

WALL-E took EVE's hand in his and held it tight. EVE made a loving sigh and nuzzled him in response. Their married life didn't seem to be any different than their previous lives. They still did the same thing as before: giving each other love.

But still, it felt great to be married to the one he always cared for. WALL-E wouldn't take anything else: he loved EVE ever since he first laid eyes on her. Just being with her made him happy.

And having a family added to that happiness. WALL-E was happy to have found a brother in REX, and he was happy for REX to also find love. Just having a family made WALL-E's life the greatest it could be.

A loud cheering sound made WALL-E jump out of his thoughts. EVE got off of him and helped him up, then they exited the closet to follow the sound.

The cheers led them back to the Lido Deck, where they found REX on the dance floor doing all sorts of crazy dance moves. Everyone was watching him and cheering with lots of enthusiasm.

"If you think that was good," REX said. "Then watch this."

REX did a quick 360-degree spin and then some really impressive move: he looked like he was walking forward, but was actually moving backward. There were several cheers of amazement from the surrounding crowd while Neon clapped enthusiastically in approval.

REX ended his move with a backward flip, then made a bow in appreciation. "That's known as the moonwalk. Very popular in my past time."

Everyone clapped in applause, then got onto the dance floor and attempted to do the moonwalk themselves. It must've been harder than WALL-E thought, there were a lot of people who couldn't get it down.

REX came over to them with Neon in one arm. He gave WALL-E a playful shove to show his brotherly love. "I've practiced my dancing skills, but I never had an chance to show them off. Seemed like a good opportunity."

The remaining sisters and the rogues then came over to provide company. They exchanged greetings and hung around with them for the rest of the party.

WALL-E certainly liked parties. They were a lot of fun, but being with his family was what he liked most. EVE, REX, and Neon were the beings he would cherish in his life forever.

Some time later, a large screen appeared on the ceiling. McCrea and Talon appeared on the screen, both with drinks in their hands and in casual attire, no longer wearing their captain uniforms.

"The party can go all night," McCrea said. "But I wouldn't recommend staying up because tomorrow we must get back to work."

"Your choice." said Talon, and the screen disappeared.

WALL-E liked parties, but he wasn't planning on staying up all night. He needed his rest, not to mention he was getting low on power. He turned to REX and asked him if they should head home.

"I really don't care right now, so the girls can decide."

EVE and Neon went a small distance away to discuss the matter. They came back after a few seconds to say they were ready to go home.

So then, the family set off for the truck. WALL-E held EVE's hand along the way, and REX held Neon's as well. They walked out of the _Axiom_ and into the darkened outdoors as it was already nighttime.

Several newly constructed shelters littered the grounds along the way to the truck. WALL-E smiled to himself as he saw the shelters. It was going to be a fresh new start in his life, and certainly one for the better.

Arriving at the truck, WALL-E and EVE went inside while REX and Neon went to sleep on the roof. WALL-E set up _Hello Dolly_ on the VHS player while EVE gave a small cake to Hal. Then WALL-E watched the movie with his wife at his side. They hugged each other tight when _It Only Takes a Moment_ played and WALL-E enjoyed that pleasant warm feeling he got when he was with EVE.

"Family," EVE whispered to him. "Always."

"Always." WALL-E replied.

To have EVE was one great thing, but to have a brother was another great thing. REX had come to them through unexpected circumstances, but through the new adventure they just had, he became one of them. WALL-E had experienced the pain of losing his brothers, and so had REX. Them becoming brothers helped WALL-E think less of the pain, and he knew REX felt the same.

But what also helped was their partners. Not only did WALL-E and REX have each other for family, they also had EVE and Neon. WALL-E had fallen for EVE when they first met, and they became a happy couple in the process. REX had met Neon, and formed a relationship with her almost the same way. EVE and Neon helped them through their pain by always providing comfort, and they were appreciative of it. WALL-E couldn't ask for anyone better than those two girls.

Sometime went by, and _Hello Dolly_ ended. WALL-E began to go into his sleeping space, but EVE suddenly pulled him back out. She forced him onto his back and laid next to him, stroking his optics with her hand softly.

"Sleep," EVE said. "Together."

WALL-E gave a nod of agreement and took EVE's free hand in his while enjoying her gentle rubbing of his head. No sooner did he began to drift into a peaceful mindstate when EVE started humming _It Only Takes a Moment,_ only aiding him in drifting off in his mind.

He sighed and held EVE close. Having a family was definitely going to make his life change for the better.

* * *

_2090_

A bright flash overcame my eyes. I refocused the color and brightness perception in my vision filter, and I find myself in a small room filled with strange machines and figures. Right now, only one thing is on my mind.

_Who am I?_

A dark-haired man with glasses and sporting a black labcoat walks up to me. He has this scowl on his face, which doesn't make sense to me. What was he mad about?

"What is your name?" He asks me.

The answer was out before I could think about it. "I don't know."

The man then glared at me, which made me feel uneasy. "Your name is Subject Alpha. My name is Herald Jastle. I am your creator. You will do well to obey me."

"Yes sir." And that response came out on instinct as well. I don't know what's making me say these things before I'm even thinking about them. I just know that I need answers.

"What is my directive?" I ask Jastle.

Jastle grinned, then he motioned to another man to pull a lever on one of the strange machines. Before I knew it, there was information pouring into my head. It started with simple words, then expanded into stories, historical records, and then detailed constructs of random subjects. It hurt trying to process all of it at once, but something was telling me to keep it up. Ignore the pain.

"What is your directive now?" Jastle asks me.

I keep processing the information being poured into me. I see so much data, but there is something that keeps repeating itself in the information: _Syndicate . . . war._ I continue to process the information and finally discover what it means.

"Alpha," Jastle says. "What is your directive?"

"To put an end to the Syndicate.

_Two months later_

What kind of mission was this if he was pulled out of active duty to play drill-sergeant to a robot? This war had more twists and turns than Warren thought if he was pulled from his duties as an active general to train a robot. He never even thought robots could be trained.

He waited by the outpost entrance while several other military personnel rushed around completing their duties. Most of them were young men, it was wrong to send them to war.

"Excuse me, General?"

Warren turned his head to see a young man, didn't even look twenty, but sporting a green infantry uniform and a silver mechanical arm. Now Warren was shocked: a young kid fighting a war, and already he had lost his arm. It was just plain wrong.

"What's your name, son?" Warren asked him.

"Subject Alpha, sir. Blackwing project 6609-5512. I was sent under orders to be trained personally by you."

Warren's heart sank. This was the killing machine? A kid? Those Blackwing geeks were sick in the head to make a war machine that looked like a young man who could've been any other guy that had other things on his mind besides learning how to shoot a gun.

He looked over Alpha. He had that face that most recruits had: obedience. But there was something else in him that really upset Warren. He looked scared and lost.

"Are you doing okay?" Warren asked him. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No sir. I just came to be trained by you. My creator, Herald Jastle, told me the only thing I'm important for is ending the war."

Just hearing that made Warren's blood boil. Whoever this Herald Jastle was, he didn't care one bit about Alpha. He only wanted him to fight the war, and then he would dispose of him once it was over. As soon as Jastle came into sight, Warren would give him a piece of his mind, and maybe a foot right up his . . .

"Sir," Alpha said. "Is there anything I need to do?"

Warren immediately disregarded the thoughts about Jastle and focused on Alpha. This kid needed a real life. He shouldn't have been created just to fight a war. He needed a family: someone to love, someone to care for him. Someone like Warren.

"Tell you what. How about a nickname first?"

"A nickname, sir?"

"Sure. All of the guys get nicknames. It's how they get to know you. For example, when I was an infantryman, my nickname was Watchtower."

Alpha cocked his head to the side in interest. He was eager to learn new things. Warren liked that.

"Maybe I can help you with it. We usually get nicknames based on the things we like. What do you like?"

". . ."

"You don't have anything of interest?"

"No sir. I didn't spend much time outside of my quarters before I came here. There wasn't much for me to learn about the outside world besides how to fight."

Warren sighed. "Tell you what: how about something short and simple? REX sounds like a good name. How about it?"

Alpha paused for a moment. "REX? I like it."

"That's good, son. Ready for your training?"

REX perked up. "Yes sir!"

_Two years later_

REX rode the transport copter back to the barracks. He kept a solid grip on the handle bar while the aircraft settled on the ground and the exit ramp lowered.

The horrors of war had been brought upon him. The transport ship he was in originally carried twenty other men. But now, after the failed invasion, REX was its only passenger.

He stepped off the ramp and onto solid ground. His clothing had patches of red scattered about. It wasn't a camouflage pattern, it was the blood of other men who died right next to him. Too many dead. _Too many._

Several others watched REX as he walked through the outpost towards the cental command post. Some of them took off their helmets and threw them in anger at the ground. They didn't participate in the invasion, but their friends did. This war was causing too much pain, it needed to end.

REX eventually got to the central command post. A large tent with several sections inside that handled various military responsibilities. He found General Warren and Herald Jastle arguing over something. When Warren saw REX, he quickly turned to him with a saddened frown.

"REX," he said softly. "Are you okay?"

"No . . . sir." REX replied, then he started crying. His emotions were overwhelming him. So much pain and grief because of his lost friends. It was so cruel to lose them just like that. "They're all dead. They just . . . they just . . . I want them back."

REX found himself being held tight by Warren in a hug. It made him feel slightly better, but the pain was still there.

"It's alright son," Warren said. "I'm here for you."

REX returned the hug and slightly lessened his crying. "Thank you . . . sir."

It was just that phrase: _I'm here for you._ It made REX feel better. It told him that Warren cared for him. It told REX he had someone.

"Alpha," Jastle barked. "Caring for others makes you weak! Disregard the dead. They are not important to your directive."

Then REX felt something boil inside him. It made him feel hot—and angry.

He ran at Jastle almost instantly and punched him in the face. Jastle fell to the ground with his nose bleeding profusely from the impact.

"GO TO HELL, MEATSACK!" REX screamed. All he felt was rage now. Hatred for Jastle because he didn't care. Why did he not care? So many lives were lost and all he cared about was just REX's performance capabilities.

Jastle looked at REX with a scowl. "How dare you! Alpha, you will be put down for this!"

Warren then went up to Jastle and kicked him in the face, knocking him back down again.

"You touch him," Warren growled. "And you answer to me."

_A week later_

Warren was in his temporary office pondering plans on how to recover from the losses of the failed invasion of Africa. He saw the intel and he put his stand on the options. It was a stupid strategy; Syndicate forces were too well entrenched for a direct assault on the country, and many men paid the price for that. They should've just resorted to Special Forces task groups to weaken the presence before attacking. It would've fared better, but Shelby Forthright decided an attempt to demonstrate BnL military power was the best decision. Leave it to the politicians to make stupid mistakes.

"Hey Jerry."

Warren turned to see Captain Louis Andreas. Leader of Squad 37 of the Market Garden special forces and a close friend of Warren. He greeted him with a friendly handshake and chest bump.

"Louie. Good to see you again."

"Likewise, Jer'. I heard what happened about the invasion. I haven't met REX yet, but I'm pretty sure I know what he's going through. Is he doing okay?"

"He's taking it pretty hard. Most of the guys he first spoke to on the ride to the battlefield. Only knew them for a few minutes and now he's crying over their deaths. He shouldn't be going through something like this."

"Hey, if he needs anything, let me know. While many men died in the invasion, there were a lot that had their rears saved by REX because of his actions. Many of them respect him. I respect him."

"Actually, sooner or later I'm moving him to special forces. I want to put him in your group so he's around good people. He's a great kid. He learns fast and he has no trouble developing emotions."

"Sure thing, Jerry. I still owe you for that op back in Saudi Arabia. But still, anything for the kid."

There was a hissing sound at the nearby door. Warren and Andreas turned to it and saw Jastle come in through the door. He had a large bandage covering his nose with some parts of the skin surrounding it in a purple hue. He was still recovering from REX's attack.

"General," Jastle said. "We need to talk about Alpha. I demand that he be returned to me."

Andreas immediately went up to Jastle and gave him a threatening push. "What's your problem, _pendejo_?"

Warren got ready to step in. He knew Andreas enough that he didn't have very good impulse control, but he always signaled when he was angry. When he started speaking Spanish, he was fired up.

Jastle glared at Andreas. "This does not concern you, Captain. I suggest you leave now while you still have your position."

Andreas put his face close to Jastle's. "A lot of men died in that invasion and all you cared about was the results from REX's performance. Have you seen what he's going through? Leave him alone."

"That's enough Captain." Warren snapped. "Head on out. I'll deal with him."

Andreas paused for a moment, then nodded. He started to head out, but whispered something in Jastle's ear that Warren just barely caught.

"Say hi to _el Diablo_ for me, you sick freak."

Jastle gave Andreas an irritated scowl as Andreas left. Warren could've cared less if Andreas took a swing at him, but he wanted to deal with Jastle personally because of that comment about putting REX down.

"So why do you want to have REX back?" Warren asked him.

"After running a few training routines, Alpha has since been disobedient to our orders and has shown extreme amounts of insubordination. When I demand that he submit to routine checkups, he responds by telling me to _shove it._ "

"You asked for a fighting machine with the ability to think like a real soldier, and that's why I trained him. You have what you asked for, so why are you complaining?"

"I do not tolerate his behavior. He must be reconditioned in order to ensure the victory of the war and the safety of humanity."

"Define _reconditioned._ "

"Wiped of memory and restarted as an obedient soldier rather than one who can think for himself."

Warren had his hand at Jastle's neck in a second. "Now let me tell you this: you or any of your blackbird friends are coming nowhere _near_ my boy, or I'll take direct action."

Jastle seemed unnerved by Warren's grip. "Are you aware that Alpha was created by me, so therefore he is my property?"

"Are _you_ aware that as a high-ranking general of the military, I have the authority to detain you for interfering with a soldier's deployment? And if I'm correct, REX _is_ a soldier."

Jastle's eyes widened. That struck a nerve. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me. Your organization does not really exist, so you have no authority whatsoever. And if a court-martial won't stop you, then I won't stop REX from doing whatever he wants to you, and I know that he doesn't have good thoughts about you."

Jastle's eyes were locked on Warren's as his neck was released. Warren wasn't about to let REX be remodeled or terminated just because he didn't please the wishes of the Blackwing techies. REX was his boy, and Warren wasn't going to let anything happen to his boy.

Jastle then began to leave with a face that said he was angry, but also defeated. "This won't be the last you'll see of me."

Warren put his hand on the handle of the .44 Magnum in his hip holster, gently patting it to give Jastle the hint. "Oh I'm sure. Keep pushing me and see what happens."

_Three years later_

REX couldn't help but gaze at the night sky through the transparent tent covering. The stars looked so peaceful that they made him sometimes forget about the war he was fighting.

"And here's the new Lieutenant!"

REX turned to get a friendly punch from Captain Louis Andreas. General Warren stood behind him with a smile to show he was proud of REX. He certainly was; five years into his career and now REX was a battle-hardened veteran. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and given his own squad: Squad 45.

"How does it feel, kid?" Andreas asked him.

"Great, Captain. I never thought I would be one for leadership. I was always used to taking orders from someone else."

Andreas laughed. "Well, Jerry taught you everything you know. The old war horse is a legend."

Warren gave Andreas an annoyed glare. "War horse, eh? Well here's something else I know: your flight leaves in an hour, better get packing."

Andreas gave REX another friendly punch and left the tent. REX watched him go until Warren got his attention by putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Good man, Louis."

"It was an honor to fight alongside him."

Warren chuckled and went to sit down at a nearby table. REX took another seat and accepted a small stack of cards as Warren challenged him in a game of Poker.

"You're leading your own squad now REX." Warren said. "That's a big responsibility."

"I can manage."

"Don't get cocky. That was the first thing I taught you: overconfidence often leads to mistakes."

"Yes sir."

Warren laid down his deck, beating REX's two pair with a flush. REX didn't care much about the game. He just liked being with the man he trusted more than anything.

"Sir," REX said. "A lot of the guys say this war may be coming to an end soon. They talk about going back home to their families and sweethearts, whatever that means."

"They have something to go back to. That's what they fight for. They want to go back to the lives they had before."

That brought something to REX's mind. "Sir, what will happen to me when the war ends?"

Warren paused for a moment, then sighed and gave REX a smile. It always made REX feel good when Warren smiled. That was always a good sign.

"They made you my responsibility, so technically, I decide what happens to you. I'll find you a life son."

REX couldn't help but smile in response. Warren cared so much for him. When REX was first created, he had no one. Jastle and the Blackwing staff didn't care about his condition, they only wanted progress from him. But Warren was something else entirely. He always did what was best for REX.

"Thank you sir."

* * *

REX woke up to view a beautiful night sky. Thinking about his past made REX ponder how great his life had become.

Neon shifted slightly as she slept on REX's chest. REX gently eased her off him so he wouldn't wake her and stood up to look at the city in the distance. It was always the peaceful night sky that he enjoyed during his past life. It was really the only thing he could find refuge among the constant torments of war.

He couldn't help but feel so happy to have a real family. A brother, a best friend, and a true love. General Warren said he would find REX a real life—and he succeeded.

_How it does it feel son?_

REX turned to see General Warren standing next to him. Whether or not it was his imagination, it didn't matter. REX was just happy to see his old mentor again.

"It's great," REX replied. "To finally have what the other guys always talk about. It's great."

Warren smiled and put his hand on REX's shoulder. REX could've sworn that he actually felt his hand. Apparently, even death couldn't stop Warren from reaching him as REX thought.

_I'm happy for you REX. I'm glad that you finally have a family. I'm glad that you finally have the life I wanted you to have._

"I owe it all to you sir. You made me realize my true potential. You helped me become something that mattered."

_Your welcome, REX._

The two then saluted each other. It made REX feel happy to have a family since Warren always wanted him to have one. Now that the general was there to see him with his new life, REX felt complete. There was truly nothing else he wanted.

_Go live your life son. You deserve it._

"Yes sir." REX said, a tear began to run down his face. "And thank you."

_Feel free to call me Dad._

"Yes . . . Dad."

Warren smiled and began to fade into nonexistence, slowly becoming transparent, then gone. REX couldn't resist crying in joy. Warren's mission was complete.

"REX?"

REX turned and saw Neon staring at him with a tired and confused expression. He must've accidentally woken her up by the conversation.

"Just thinking about what a great life I have," he said. "Especially when you came."

Neon made a loving sigh and gave REX a hug. He hugged her back and enjoyed the attention she was giving to him. Love was one of the best rewards from having a family. It definitely helped to have a girl in his life.

They held together for a while until REX heard the wind picking up. He looked out in the distance and saw a sandstorm making its way towards them.

REX jumped off the roof and Neon glided down with him. Before they could even knock, the ramp lowered to show WALL-E and EVE waiting by the controls. The two went in and WALL-E closed the ramp. The interior was dark except for the girls' bright eyeforms and WALL-E's charge display casting visible glows. At least, that's how it was until WALL-E turned on the lights, then everything was visible.

WALL-E went over to the VCR and hit the rewind button so they could watch _Hello Dolly_ again. EVE set up a sleeping space for REX and Neon as they waited.

REX looked around the truck. All of WALL-E's trinkets made it look so decorative. He couldn't be happier to know this was his home now. A home and a family, two things he was never expected to have, but he did.

When _Hello Dolly_ played, REX sat down to watch it with his family. Neon snuggled herself in his arms and WALL-E and EVE learned their heads together while also holding hands.

REX was truly happy. The Control Wars were over, the man he hated for so long was gone for good, and he had a real life. He had the life he so rightfully deserved.

His life would change, much like WALL-E's did. Change for the better.


	17. Epilogue

WALL-E had a good life. He enjoyed every minute of his new life.

It's been four years since the Second Coming: the return of the second BnL starliner to earth. Since then, more starliners had returned to the planet and now recolonization was almost complete. There were grass, trees, and several other kinds of plants thriving on the grounds. This was what the earth was supposed to be.

WALL-E was pouring water on the small garden in front of his home. As time had gone by, the highway his truck sat on was stripped down for construction material. His truck wasn't taken along, but instead carried to a newly established town by the _Atlas_ Rounders and had a house built next to it. WALL-E now lived in a single floor house with a grassy backyard where the truck resided and a nice front yard.

"Hey WALL-E."

WALL-E turned to get a friendly push from REX. Of course, EVE, REX, and Neon lived in the house too. They were his family, they all stayed together.

REX looked over their garden, which consisted of specially-made blue and green roses. "Remember when we picked these for the girls."

"Uh-huh."

"A great Valentine's gift. And I really liked how Neon showed her appreciation for it."

"E-vah . . . same."

"I could expect that. They're sisters, so they tend to do the same things together. Much like how you and me are brothers and we do the same things."

"Family."

"That's right. We're a family."

WALL-E enjoyed how the days went now. Recolonization was complete in the city and now other parts of the earth were being worked on. WALL-E and his family didn't have to work anymore, so they spent their days with friends, doing new things, and most of all, being with each other. It was like living in a paradise.

But doing new things was something they did alot. Usually with the sisters and the rouges, the robot family would go out and do different things for the fun of it. Mostly it was just volunteering for recolonizing work, but other times it was going on trips to other parts of the planet for exploration and also exploring more of the Hangout.

REX gave WALL-E a playful shove. "C'mon, let's go see how the girls are doing."

"Okay." WALL-E said. About a week ago, EVE and Neon had said they weren't feeling well, so REX had them taken to a newly established hospital that managed both human and robot patients. The hospital was named "Redemption" and was run by John and Mary. When the girls were brought in, they were carefully looked over by John as he became an experienced doctor and robotics technician. He said it was nothing serious, but had them kept in the hospital until he figured out what the problem was. Every day since, WALL-E and REX would come to visit their wives and spend as much time as possible with them.

The two brothers then set off for the hospital. They went into the newly remodeled city that had all the makings of what a populated environment would. Thanks to the work of the _Atlas_ crew, the city was restored and now abundant with citizens, human and robot.

The city was now completely deprived of trash thanks to the works of the WALL-As and the _Atlas_ tankers. Now, the city was filled with buildings suitable to live in, stores, traffic streets and cars to go with, and all other sorts of things that WALL-E didn't know about, but made up a city as he was told.

WALL-E couldn't help but ponder how his life went. At the start, all he did was work with his brethren counterparts to clean up a desolated planet. WALL-E's brothers then broke down through time, leaving him alone. WALL-E found love when he met EVE and discovered a new meaning in life. REX came along, and WALL-E discovered a long-lost happiness by becoming his brother. Add Neon making REX happy and discovering love as well, a family was created. WALL-E had a family that he cared for deeply, and they cared for him just as much.

They came up to the Redemption hospital and went in. At the main lobby, they found Mary—who was now in great physical condition after a brutal fitness program led by REX—sitting at the clerk desk. She smiled and exchanged greetings with the brothers.

"How are they doing?" REX asked.

"John and Elise just finished another scan," Mary replied. "They found the problem."

"What is it?"

"Actually, EVE and Neon want to tell you themselves."

WALL-E felt slightly uneasy. He hoped it wasn't something bad that was happening to EVE and Neon. It would tear him apart if EVE was sick. Once before she contracted an electronic virus, which was similar to the human flu, and she was very sick. It upset WALL-E a great deal to see her so weak, so he never left her side not even for a second the whole time. He wasn't cheerful until EVE had recovered, and then she repaid the care he provided with an abundance of affection, then WALL-E was happy again.

"Fine," REX said. "I trust John and Elise, but the girls are family. I take their word over anything else."

"Elise, can you guide them?"

Elise chimed in. "Certainly."

REX and WALL-E made their way through several hallways by Elise's directions. A city-wide network had been established some time ago to provide aid to the colonists with all sorts of assistance, and Elise was in complete control of the network. The AI worked all around the city with numerous problems thanks to her ability to be in several places at once provided that she had access to the area of interest.

Eventually, they got to the room where EVE and Neon were at. They found John (who was also physically fit), Angel, Izzy, and Vi waiting by the door.

"They're doing fine," John said. "Just complaining on how it's taking you two to get here."

"Yeah, they're not much for patience." REX joked. He turned to WALL-E. "Don't tell them I said that, or I'll be forced to sleep on the couch again."

WALL-E nodded in agreement. He remembered how that went. Whenever REX cracked jokes or pranks, the girls would make him sleep on the living room couch. It didn't really make much of a difference though, as WALL-E had once found Neon sleeping with REX on the couch during a midnight stroll. When he asked them about it, Neon would say she felt lonely in bed and wanted to sleep with REX.

The two went into the room. EVE and Neon were resting comfortably in bright white beds snuggled up in blankets. When they saw the brothers, they smiled and beckoned for them to come.

WALL-E went up to the side of EVE's bed while REX did the same with Neon. EVE pulled WALL-E into the bed and hugged him tight. Four years of being with her, and still WALL-E enjoyed her affection. He was glad his love for her never faltered, he didn't want it to.

John and the sisters came in a few seconds later. John had a slight grin on his face and the sisters were giggling enthusiastically.

"What they have," John said. "is something very special."

"Bottle." Angel said.

"Carriage." Izzy continued.

"Diapers." Vi said with an ongoing giggle.

WALL-E was getting confused. What were they talking about? It must've had something to do with whatever EVE and Neon had. He needed to get the full story from EVE.

"WALL-E?" EVE asked. "Bring?"

"Uh-huh." WALL-E opened his compartment and pulled out the telepathic communicators. The communicators weren't that important in their lives, but they used them to have a good chat every once in a while. It was fun to talk.

WALL-E handed EVE one communicator and they activated them. WALL-E felt that unpleasant feeling he always got when it activated, then he was able to speak perfectly.

"Eva," he said. "How are you doing?"

"Better now that you're here." EVE replied. She pulled his head towards her and gave him a spark-kiss. "WALL-E, I feel so happy now."

"Eva, what's wrong with you and Neon? I've been going nuts stressing about you having a possible illness. I can't stand it when you're sick."

"Oh WALL-E, that's so sweet of you." EVE smiled. "But I'm not sick, and neither is Neon. We have what Elise called a _second signature._ "

"What does that mean?"

"It's something very special. Something that will make you and REX very happy because it's something me and Neon are giving to you."

There was a loud _thud._ WALL-E saw REX face-first on the ground and unmoving, it looked like he fainted. Neon was giggling uncontrollably in her bed as she looked at REX.

EVE giggled too. "She must've told him. I never expected that kind of reaction from him."

"Eva, what is a _second signature?_ "

EVE turned to WALL-E and took his hand in hers. She gave him such a beautiful smile, that WALL-E already knew it was something good.

"WALL-E, you and REX are going to be fathers."


End file.
